Signs of the Dragon The Fortune Cup Duels
by TheTrueBlackRose
Summary: This is a revised version of Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's, my take on the story. A majority of the original plot takes place in this story, with quite a bit of changes in my vision. The Sailor Moon characters play a very minor role in this story.
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

You would think being a Princess would be a perfect life, but for me not even close. I was born due to an affair between the Queen of the Galaxy, Ataxia, and the King of the Sun, Atem, which would make me Princess of both the Sun Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Galaxy. I was named Princess Skylara. My mother tried to keep who my biological father was a secret from her husband, her eldest daughter, and her citizens. So, I was led to believe the King of the Galaxy was my father, but after his death, my mother told me the truth about who my biological father was. Then when I was six, my mother died and my older half-sister, Kakyuu, became Crown Princess of the Galaxy.

Later on in my life, I became sixteen and it was decided that I would one day be Queen of the Sun, while Kakyuu would become Queen of the Galaxy, but me being sixteen danger would be anywhere. So that being said, Kakyuu had assigned me special guards and that would be Princess Haruka, the Princess of Uranus, Princess Michiru, the Princess of Neptune and Princess Setsuna, the Princess of Pluto. Only, now they wouldn't be known as the Princesses of their planets even though they still were. They would be known as the Outer Sailor Guardians, known as Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto, the defenders of the Outer Solar System. My half-sister Kakyuu had her own special guards. They were known as Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Maker and Sailor Star Healer, the Sailor Starlights.

But eventually still sixteen, I was engaged to be betrothed. Yes, I had a fiance at sixteen named Helios. He was the General of the Sun soldiers. Only, he was turned into a white Pegasus and had to leave to protect people's dreams on Earth.

The three weeks after that were painful. So, I decided that I had to talk to Kakyuu. She was outside in the garden that night so I went to her. "Kakyuu." "Skylara?" Kakyuu asks. "Kakyuu, I must tell you something and I don't know how you're going to take it." I walked up to her and tried to touch her hand, but she pulled away. "Kakyuu?" "I already know what you want, Skylara." Says Kakyuu. She then walks past me. "Kakyuu, listen to me! If you don't, I will leave!" Kakyuu faces me, with a sad looking face. "Kakyuu, you have to consider the fact that I am more than just a Princess." "Skylara, you are just a Princess, like me." Kakyuu says. She walks toward me and tries to put her hand on my shoulder. "Even though you have powers and you don't even use them." "I only use mine for good like our mother did. Since we live here in a different world, in a different dimension. I mean, not only do you carry half of the royal bloodline of a Princess of the Galaxy from our mother's side, but you also carry half of the royal bloodline of a Sun Princess from that man." Says Kakyuu. "'That man?' Oh, so now you're saying that my father is a bad man because of him having an affair with our mother!" "No, I didn't say that." Kakyuu says. "You didn't have to!" "Well, considering the way you dress. You don't dress how a normal Princess would." Says Kakyuu. "I prefer not to wear dresses, Kakyuu. I just prefer the sleeved leotard and the cloak with a hood." "So I've noticed, but your legs show all the time and they're bare. Don't you ever get cold?" Kakyuu asks. "The cold here doesn't bother me. And the heat over in the Sun Kingdom doesn't bother me either." "Well, everything else except your legs, hands and face are covered." Says Kakyuu. "Now you're judging the way I dress." "It's just, you're a beautiful young Princess with your long wavy black hair and emerald green eyes. So, I don't get why you half the time hide your face under a hood." Kakyuu says. "Our mother hid her face under a hood as well." "But, her face was never hidden under shadow. Besides, she only did that because of her mistake with that man." Says Kakyuu. "Kakyuu, I'm done!" I push Kakyuu's hand away and some sort of power attacks her and she collapses backwards.

Sailor Star Healer and Sailor Star Maker soon show up and go over to Kakyuu. Sailor Star Healer tries to see if Kakyuu got injured, while Sailor Star Maker kneels down to one knee on the other side of her. Then some sort of red glowing marks almost all over my body from head to foot appear, even my upper back has some markings as well.

Then I look away and start walking the other way to see that Sailor Star Fighter is right there. "Princess." Sailor Star Fighter says. She looks at me, as if she's both scared and concerned. I just try to walk past her, but I stop when I get to her side facing the opposite way from where she's facing. "Aren't you going to go aid your precious Crown Princess too?" I manage to walk past her. "Princess, don't take it that way." Says Sailor Star Fighter. She tries to put her hand on my shoulder, but I stop her. "Don't even bother, Fighter. It's pretty obvious that you three care a lot more about Kakyuu than me." "That's not true. It's just, we were assigned to protect the Crown Princess of the Galaxy and the kingdom that she rules over." Sailor Star Fighter says. "Fighter, I have my own guardians to protect me. I don't need you!" I then run further into the garden.

"Princess, wait!" Says Sailor Star Fighter. "Fighter!" Sailor Star Maker says. She grabs Sailor Star Fighter by the arm to stop her. "Maker, let go!" Says Sailor Star Fighter. "Fighter, just leave her be." Sailor Star Maker says. "Besides, she's right. We're meant to protect Princess Kakyuu and this kingdom. She has her guardians, she doesn't need us." Says Sailor Star Healer. "Of course she doesn't need us. I'm the one that needs her!" Sailor Star Fighter says. She then gets out of Sailor Star Maker's grip and starts running after me.

"Don't you even take another step!" Says Sailor Uranus. Her, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto get in Sailor Star Fighter's way. "Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. Please, get out of my way." Sailor Star Fighter says. "We already heard what you said, Fighter." Says Sailor Neptune. "About you needing her." Sailor Pluto says. "And we're not going to let you hurt her anymore." Says Sailor Uranus. "How are you three going to stop me? I'm going to talk to her." Sailor Star Fighter says. "Over my dead body!" Says Sailor Uranus. "Let Fighter go you three." Kakyuu says. "Your Highness!" Says Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto. Sailor Star Fighter then goes down to one knee, as does Sailor Star Maker and Sailor Star Healer, bowing to her. "Fighter, you may go and find her but be warned, her powers are beyond powerful against your own. Especially, if she's mad." Kakyuu says. Sailor Star Fighter nods and then leaves, running into the garden to find me.

It is night when Sailor Star Fighter is still looking for me. "Princess!" Says Sailor Star Fighter. She then comes to a rest and I am lying down asleep on a bench when she gets there, she sees I have a different kind of outfit on. The red glowing markings are gone by now. It isn't the same outfit I had on, it is a uniform that is like the ones Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto wear only a different kind of style. Instead of the leotard being white like the others, mine is black. And instead of the gloves being white they are black. My tiara is silver instead of gold and the gemstone on it is dark blue. The bow that covers my chest is dark red. My gloves are the same length as the Sailor Starlight's. The glove fittings are dark blue, as is my skirt. And the back bow attached to my skirt is dark purple. And my high-heeled, thigh-length boots are dark blue as well. Then she sees a little device in my hand that looks like a small wand. The only other difference is that I have a whip at my side. When I was in that form, I felt a stronger part of my powers surge into me. I was an Outer Sailor Guardian, known as the Soldier of Darkness and Vengeance, Sailor Galaxy.

The next day, I strongly budged the palace doors open. "Kakyuu!" "Who are you?" Kakyuu asks. I walked out from the doorway and the shadows towards her. "What you don't remember who I am?" The guards, Sailor Star Healer and Sailor Star Maker step in front of Kakyuu. "None of you can? That's just sad, Kakyuu." "Wait, would you by any chance know where Princess Skylara is?" Asks Kakyuu. "Why yes I would." "Then where is she?" Kakyuu asks. "She's dead. She was just a Princess whose life I ended." "But why?" Asks Kakyuu. "Because she thought she was nothing but a worthless princess who had to do what she was told. So, she asked me to remove her from existence so surely and well deservedly I did." "Healer, Maker." Kakyuu says. "Yes, Your Highness?" Asks both Sailor Star Healer and Sailor Star Maker. "Kill her in revenge and in devotion to our Princess." Kakyuu says. "You can't kill me, Kakyuu! It's quite impossible, Your Highness." "We will try!" Says Sailor Star Maker. She tries to attack me. "Star Gentle Uterus!" Sailor Star Maker says. Her attack approaches me, but I manage to take my whip and destroy it. Sailor Star Maker then charges at me in order to attack me, but I grab her foot that she tries to attack me with. Sailor Star Maker gasps, in shock, and then I throw her backwards and she falls to the floor, hard. "Maker!" Says Sailor Star Healer. She then runs over to Sailor Star Maker. "Maker, are you alright?" Sailor Star Healer asks. Sailor Star Maker is unconscious.

Sailor Star Healer then stands up and faces me. "Are you going to come after me now, Healer?" "Okay, try to block this one. Star Sensitive Inferno!" Says Sailor Star Healer, yelling.

"No, Healer!" Sailor Star Fighter says. She runs in front of me, takes the attack and falls backwards into me. "Fighter!" I kneel down to her side and lift her head and upper body up to me. "Fighter, wake up." "I'm… okay." Says Sailor Star Fighter. "You didn't have to do that for me." "I would… do anything… to keep you safe. Even if… that means… taking… an attack or risking my life… for you." Sailor Star Fighter says. "Star Sensitive Inferno!" Says Sailor Star Healer, yelling. Sailor Star Fighter tries to get up, but she then falls forward. "Fighter, stop it!" "I must… protect you…" Sailor Star Fighter says. "No, you don't." I then stand up and get in front of Sailor Star Fighter. When the attack comes, I lift up my hand and stop it in its path. "Huh?" Asks Sailor Star Fighter, shocked. And then I destroy it. "Impossible, how did you?" Sailor Star Healer asks, surprised.

Then Sailor Pluto and Sailor Neptune arrive. Sailor Star Maker finally regains consciousness and Sailor Star Healer helps her up. "Maker, just stay out of this." Says Sailor Star Healer. Then Sailor Star Fighter grabs onto my upper leg, tugging at my skirt a bit. "Fighter, you don't have to keep doing this." "I will fight… to the… end… for you." Sailor Star Fighter says. "Deep Submerge!" Says Sailor Neptune, yelling. "Star Sensitive Inferno!" Sailor Star Healer says, yelling. "Dead Scream!" Says Sailor Pluto, yelling. All three attacks come towards us, well mainly towards me, so I push Sailor Star Fighter out of the way and she falls to her side. I then take all three attacks at once. When the attacks are over, my entire arm is bleeding and I fall to one knee, as my blood drips to the floor. "No!" Sailor Star Fighter says. She runs over to me. "What do you girls think your doing?" Asks Sailor Star Fighter. "Get out of the way, Fighter." Sailor Star Healer says. Sailor Star Fighter then steps in front of me. "I can't do that, Healer." Says Sailor Star Fighter. "Star Sensitive Inferno!" Sailor Star Healer says, yelling. "Star Serious Laser!" Says Sailor Star Fighter, yelling. Both attacks collide with each other. I stagger at getting up to my feet, but I manage to. "Fighter, stop... you don't have to… keep going." "I will for you like I said." Sailor Star Fighter says. "Dead Scream!" Says Sailor Pluto, yelling. "Dark Spell!" My attack ends up hitting Sailor Star Maker.

Then from behind us, Sailor Uranus comes to mine and Sailor Star Fighter's side. "Uranus!" Both Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto say. "I'm sorry, Pluto, Neptune, but my allegiance is with her." Says Sailor Uranus. So, with it three against three now the score would be even. Sailor Star Fighter had Sailor Star Healer, Sailor Uranus had Sailor Pluto and I had Sailor Neptune, but they each had us picked out as well. "Dead Scream!" Sailor Pluto says, yelling. "World Shaking!" Says Sailor Uranus, yelling. It blocks Sailor Pluto's attack and then ends up hitting her.

"Pluto!" Sailor Star Healer says. "Star Serious Laser!" Says Sailor Star Fighter. Without warning, her attack ends up hitting Sailor Star Healer.

"Healer!" Sailor Neptune says. "Dark Spell!" My attack hits Sailor Neptune directly and they're all down.

I then look up at Kakyuu, who is in shock for what she saw. Then for some reason, I collapse backwards into Sailor Uranus and Sailor Star Fighter, but they both catch me before falling. "Princess!" Says both Sailor Uranus and Sailor Star Fighter, worriedly. "I'm alright, Fighter, Uranus." "Wait, Princess?" Kakyuu asks. "Yes, Kakyuu. It is me, your younger half-sister. I have now become a Sailor Guardian. I am now Sailor Galaxy. So, I must go to the Moon Kingdom with Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto." I then lift up both hands to heal both Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto. And then I use my powers to make them rise and come to me. "Well sister dear, this is goodbye. So, farewell sister."

First, I took a little trip to the Sun Kingdom, entered the altar and took my father's most prized position, the most powerful sword in all of the Galaxy. If used for good, you would be full of the whole Galaxies power, but if you use it for evil, you would be turned into the most dark-hearted and full of the darkest evil in the Galaxy. You could also make anyone in the universe your minion or slave for life and even turn the whole Universe an evil, dark place. But at a terrible price, you are cursed with a poisoned body, mind and no control of either because you are controlled by something else inside you, but you can see what you're doing half of the time and there is no way to stop yourself. We call this dark evil by one name, Chaos, which is what my father tried to seal away, but nearly failed and it ended up killing him. He was trying to protect me from it because Chaos wanted me and kept trying to come after me. Chaos actually transformed itself into someone else and was able to get close to me. My father stopped it before it could do any harm to me, but it was able to steal my Star Seed. The marks that appear on me are the Marks of Chaos and Destruction, which means I could bring the world to its knees and destroy everything. I would have ended up living without a Star Seed, but my father gave up his own up his own life in order to save mine. Afraid that Chaos would eventually break free from its seal, my father placed his Star Seed within me in order for me to live on and one day take over where he left off.

So, I went with the other Sailor Guardian's to fight Queen Beryl's forces, but we weren't the only ones under attack. The Moon Kingdom was too. So, I used my powers to transport us to the Moon Kingdom, the home of Queen Serenity and her daughter, Princess Serenity, which I found out is my younger paternal half-sister. But there were difficulties on that part because the Moon was protected by the Inner Planets. Prince Endymion, the Prince of the Earth, Princess Ami, the Princess of Mercury, Princess Rei, the Princess of Mars, Princess Makoto, the Princess of Jupiter and Princess Minako, the Princess of Venus. We had just arrived in time to help and right away the Inner Sailor Guardians started to argue with us. However, Prince Endymion, the Prince of the Earth, right away knew that they needed all the help they could get and Queen Serenity agreed. Although, I don't really know why Prince Endymion was even there in the first place since the Earth was a rival of the Moon, but he came in order to save this kingdom from being the next victim of the Dark Kingdom and Queen Beryl. So, we each split up into two's, one Inner Sailor Guardian and one Outer Sailor Guardian would work together. It was our Soldier of Sky and Flight, Sailor Uranus with their Soldier of Water and Wisdom, Sailor Mercury. Our Soldier of Ocean and Embrace, Sailor Neptune with their Soldier of Fire and Passion, Sailor Mars. Their Soldier of Love and Beauty, Sailor Venus with our Soldier of Spacetime and Change, Sailor Pluto. And their Soldier of Thunder and Courage, Sailor Jupiter was with both Prince Endymion and myself. Prince Endymion was also the only Prince in the Universe. Princess Serenity then tried to help and I assisted Prince Endymion to protect her. We almost failed because Queen Beryl was about to attack her, but I managed to take the attack and I got myself injured. Prince Endymion came to see to me, but it was just a flesh wound.

Then Queen Beryl came directly towards me and we went into a sword fight. Prince Endymion and Sailor Jupiter tried to help, but they were busy in their own battles. Queen Beryl didn't hit me, but I was down onto one knee still trying to defend myself with my sword, only it didn't really help. I suddenly felt a sharpening pain in my right shoulder and it was Queen Beryl's sword that went through it. So right before she tried aiming for my heart, Sailor Uranus used her sword. "Space Sword Blaster!" Says Sailor Uranus, yelling. It ended up breaking Queen Beryl's sword in half. I walked over to Queen Serenity and Princess Serenity, which then Sailor Uranus, Prince Endymion and the others joined us and we ran into the palace to discuss a plan because I knew that none of us wouldn't be able to hold on much longer and somehow Queen Serenity knew it as well.

Then once inside and on her throne "We need to take whatever safety precautions that are needed to protect Princess Serenity." Queen Serenity says. "Your Majesty, I am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure your beloved Princess is well out of harms way. We need to start thinking of ways to defeat Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom." Says Prince Endymion. "It might not be possible, Endymion." "Then what do you propose we do, Sailor Galaxy? Surrender to her?!" Prince Endymion asks. "Of course not, Endymion." "Do you even care for this side of the Solar System? It doesn't seem like it by the way you're speaking?! Besides, your side of the Solar System, also known as the Outer Solar System, is the biggest rival towards my kingdom of the Earth and this kingdom." Says Prince Endymion. Sailor Uranus starts to step in front of me. "How dare you speak to her that way! Her kingdom protects this whole galaxy, doesn't matter how far away her kingdom is from us." Sailor Uranus says. I put my hand in front of her to stop her. "It is alright, Sailor Uranus." Princess Serenity then walks over to me and falls, wrapping her arms around my waist and I look down at her. "I'm sorry, but for some reason I feel a bit safer around you." Says Princess Serenity. "Are you feeling alright, Princess?" "Of course, why?" Princess Serenity asks.

Then out of no where, a mysterious voice starts speaking. "Pardon my intrusion, Your Majesty. But might I speak?" "Only dear Sir, where might you be?" Asks Queen Serenity. "I would be right here." "Dear Sir, who are you and what are you?" Queen Serenity asks. "Your Majesty, I am a Pegasus, but I was once a man. A General of the Sun Kingdom." "Helios?" "Princess, it is an honor to see you again." Helios says. "You may speak, Sir." Says Queen Serenity. "Thank you. Your Majesty, I suggest in order to help and keep the beloved Moon Princess safe. That someone should give up half of their heart to the Princess of the Moon and that person would have half of hers." Helios says. "How exactly is that going to work, Helios?!" Asks Prince Endymion. "That's not on my hands, Prince Endymion." Helios says. "Your Majesty, with all do respect for both the safety of the Princess and the other person. I don't think it's a good idea." Says Prince Endymion. "I know how scared you are, Prince Endymion. But this might work." Queen Serenity says. "Then Your Majesty, allow me to go through with it." Says Prince Endymion. "No. Prince Endymion, with all do respect it must be of the same gender and an opposite heart. The Moon Princess carries a Pure Heart. So we need someone who has a Dark Heart. And unfortunately Dark Hearts are very rare." Helios says. "I'm afraid Helios is right, Prince Endymion." Says Queen Serenity. "Then who will be the one who will do it?" Prince Endymion asks. "I will, Endymion." "Sailor Galaxy?" Asks Prince Endymion. "Yes, I have as strong a heart as any. Besides, I'm someone who carries a Dark Heart within me. I am the only one in the universe who does." "I was wrong about you, Sailor Galaxy." Prince Endymion says. "Princess, I can't let you go through with it." Says Sailor Uranus. "It'll be alright, Sailor Uranus." "Sailor Galaxy, are you sure you want to do this?" Queen Serenity asks. "Yes. After all, I'm the daughter of the late Queen of the Galaxy, Ataxia, and the departed King of the Sun, Atem." "Wait, your the Sun Princess?" Asks Prince Endymion. "Well, yes. I'm the Sun Princess, as well as the Princess of the Galaxy." "So, your father was King Atem of the Sun Kingdom?" Queen Serenity asks. "Yes, Your Majesty. I was born due to an affair between King Atem and Queen Ataxia." "Well, if you are the Sun Princess. That makes you Princess Serenity's older half-sister. King Atem was her father, as well." Says Queen Serenity. "Really? You never told me about my father, Mother." Princess Serenity says. "Your father and I weren't exactly a secret. However, I needed a child that would one day take over the Moon Kingdom. So, the Sun Princess and the Moon Princess are half-sisters." Says Queen Serenity. "The only thing I don't understand is why your called Sailor Galaxy instead of Sailor Sun. Why is that?" Prince Endymion asks. "Well, I was raised in the Kingdom of the Galaxy for the most part of my life. I was led to believe that the King of the Galaxy was my father, but after he died my mother explained to me who my actual father was. I met him shortly before my mother died, and I would often go back and forth between the Sun Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Galaxy. I can't explain it myself. However, if I would have to guess. I'm assuming it's because of my Dark Heart that I'm the Guardian that I am."

Shortly after that, Helios and Prince Endymion used their powers to try and give half of our hearts to each other, only their powers weren't successful. So, Queen Serenity used the power from the Crescent Moon Wand and the Legendary Silver Crystal, but the power wasn't strong enough. "Sailor Galaxy, you have to use your forbidden power." Says Helios. "But that power is like you said, forbidden." Helios walks over to me, turns himself back into a man, and tries to put his hands on my shoulders, but Sailor Uranus steps in front of me and he stops right there. "You are the Sun Princess and the Princess of the Galaxy, what are you afraid of?" Helios asks. "I'm not afraid and right now I am not the Princess of the Galaxy or the Sun Princess." "So then use it." Says Helios. "Fine, but it's on your hands if it doesn't work." Helios then backs away and Sailor Uranus returns back to my side where she was. "You ready, Princess?" Princess Serenity nods. I use my powers, trying my hardest to not have the markings appear, and my power is released. It hits Princess Serenity and then myself. The Heart Crystal's come out, which is as painful as getting a heart attack and getting hit by lightning at the same time. We then both collapse backwards to the ground. Prince Endymion grabs Princess Serenity's Pure Heart Crystal, carefully, and catches her. And Helios grabs my Dark Heart Crystal, carefully, and Sailor Uranus catches me. Then Prince Endymion and Helios let the Heart Crystal's collide and combine with each other. Now, we have half of each others hearts. Helios then turns back into a Pegasus and then vanishes.

The Heart Crystals then returned to us and left a scar on each of our chests where our hearts are. My scar ended up being in the shape of a crescent moon, while Princess Serenity has it in the shape of a six pointed star. Then both Princess Serenity's and my eyes go back to normal. Princess Serenity tries to stand, but almost falls and I then sort of caught her. Eventually, I had to leave the Moon Kingdom with Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Pluto to go forth into the Outer Solar System to protect it from outside invaders. After that the battle continued, but we all got defeated. Queen Serenity then sacrificed herself to have us live a second life, so our lives started over.

But at the end of our last battle on Earth against Galaxia and I retrieved my Star Seed back, something happened. Something that led me to my third life, which isn't any better. My life was ended eventually and then I was reborn into my third life. I am surely no longer a princess, certainly not the Princess of the Galaxy or the Sun Princess anymore. I ended up forgetting about my older half-sister, so my memories of her are just blurs. Both of my past lives are blurs. The only things I can remember from any of my two past lives are my friends and being a Sailor Guardian, but they surely remembered me and who they once were.

I grew up in a small place called the Satellite, a small trash heap of an island, which used to connect to a big city called New Domino City. The woman who I lived with was my foster mother, Martha, and I lived with my younger brother, Yusei Fudo. Yusei and I are maternal half-siblings, as well as fraternal twins, how that is even possible confuses both of us, but as impossible as it may sound, it is in fact true. Anyway, we ended up meeting a Satellite like us named Jack Atlas, he is older than Yusei and I by a year. Then we became friends. I became friends with one who I stood up for. His name is Crow Hogan, he's younger than Yusei and I by a year, and younger than Jack by two years. He was being bullied by someone my age. He stole two of his duel cards. He didn't happen to have a deck yet, so I decided to duel for him. Crow told me that I didn't have to get involved, but I did anyway. I beat the guy in one round and with only one monster. Crow was grateful for my help. I gave Crow his two cards back that the bully stole from him. I taught him how to duel and I eventually had him meet Yusei and Jack.

We then became older, as in early teens. Jack became fifteen, Yusei and became fourteen and Crow became thirteen. Then one day this guy named Kalin Kessler came, he was eighteen, he introduced himself to us and told us about himself. I didn't want anything to do with him, but I couldn't say the same for Yusei, Jack and Crow. I left, but that day they formed a team called 'The Enforcers' which got me mad and I didn't speak to Crow, Jack or even Yusei for a few months. They went taking on other dual gangs trying to be the best there was.

Then one day, I found two of my past friends, Haruka Ten'ou and her partner, Michiru Kaiou. They went into an abandoned building and I followed them. "Haruka, Michiru." They both seemed to hear me, but it wasn't a very happy greeting. Haruka tried to kick me, but since I still had a lot of my skills from being a Sailor Guardian, I blocked her kick and threw her to the ground. "Still the strong one aren't you, Haruka?" Then Michiru tried to do something, but I blocked her as well and threw her into Haruka. I mean after all, I was the leader of the Outer Sailor Guardians. "I see you two haven't changed much have you?" "Afraid not." Michiru says. I help her up. "Haruka." "You still have it in you." Says Haruka. "It never left." I then help Haruka up as well. "So, what's up?" Haruka asks. "I need you girls to help me with something." "Anything." Says Haruka. "Would you girls like to form the Outer Sailor Guardians again?" "But we need Setsuna and Hotaru." Michiru says. "Don't worry about that, I still have contact with Setsuna. But Michiru, you can get in contact with… Hotaru." "She's still upset with you, isn't she?" Asks Michiru. "Yes, Yusei doesn't even know she exists." "We'll help you though." Haruka says. "Thank you, Michiru, Haruka." So that day, I contacted Setsuna and she agreed with it.

But when Michiru found Hotaru and talked to her, I knew how she was going to respond. "Forget it, Michiru!" Says Hotaru. "Come on, Hotaru. We need you." Michiru says. "Is that just you talking or is it my sister?" Asks Hotaru. "Oh, come on. Look, I know it's not my business for what happened between you and her but…" Michiru says. "No, but I'm sure she already told you!" Says Hotaru. "Yes, but she's your sister, Hotaru. Your not going to find another one like her." Michiru says. "She's my half-sister, but I guess you have a point there." Says Hotaru. "Look, she's in the Satellite with a foster mother and your half-brother Yusei. While you live here in the city with your father." Michiru says. "So? You and Haruka still live in the city, as does Setsuna." Says Hotaru. "Yes, but…" Michiru says. "So, why exactly would we leave this beautiful city and go to the trashy Satellite." Says Hotaru. "Hotaru, I know what you mean, but she…" Michiru says. "Usagi and Mamoru are together." Says Hotaru. "I know." Michiru says. "Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako are still here somewhere in the city too." Says Hotaru. "Okay Hotaru, you made a lot of points. But think of all the times and things she's done for you. Haruka and I are going to go help her since we owe her for everything she's done." Michiru says. "Well, I guess since you put it that way. No!" Says Hotaru. "Whatever, we wouldn't need you anyway." Michiru says. "Fine, then why did you even come here?" Says Hotaru. "Because I suggested that we would have needed you, but I guess I was for once wrong. The three of us were fine before you came into the picture." Michiru says. "Won't you still need Setsuna? Sure, your fine with just Haruka, Skylara and yourself. But you'll still need her, won't you?" Asks Hotaru. "We already have Setsuna on our side and it'll be fine with just the four of us. Since we were fine before you came around. Now, I have to go. Have a good day, Hotaru." Michiru says. "Whatever, Michiru." Says Hotaru. She is from my second past life. In that life, Hotaru was my younger, maternal half-sister. Hotaru was actually a Sailor Guardian, as well. Hotaru was the Soldier of Destruction and Silence, Sailor Saturn. Only Hotaru still is my half-sister in this life and she's also Yusei's half-sister too, but he doesn't know anything about her existence. So, all three of us share the same mother and all three of us have different fathers. Yusei and I are older than Hotaru by six years.

It took them a few hours to get to the Satellite because truthfully Satellites aren't allowed in New Domino City. They arrived at my place and my foster mother treated them like how she treats me, as family. I made sure she wasn't listening before I started telling them why I wanted to form the team again. They all agreed. So then we went to find a hideout, which we did and we started eliminating other dual gangs.

Then the night came when my brother's team finally attacked. "Hello, anyone home?" Crow asks. "Yes, I'm here." I was hidden under silhouette. "Who might you be?" Asks Jack. "I am the leader of the Outer Sailor Guardians, Sailor Galaxy" "Well then, I guess its time to dual then." Kalin says.

Sailor Neptune sneaks up behind Jack, with her hand mirror in both hands. "Submarine Reflection!" Says Sailor Neptune, yelling. And her hand mirror's power ends up hitting Jack.

Sailor Uranus did the same to Kalin, their leader, with her sword in both hands. "Space Sword Blaster!" Sailor Uranus says, yelling.

After that, Sailor Pluto did her attack on Yusei, using her staff. "Dead Scream!" Says Sailor Pluto, yelling. And it hits Yusei. I thought we had defeated them, but it didn't take long for them to rise up.

Crow was the only one who didn't get attacked from behind so he came to fight me, but then I did my attack. "Galaxy Paralyzing Dark Kiss!" My power grabbed him and threw him into a piece of board. Which hurt him, but he got right back up so I did my attack again. Only this time it grabbed him from underneath and threw him into a piece of wood that held up half the place. It broke, but Crow being my friend I wasn't going to leave him to be buried alive under a bunch of wood so I ran over to the pile of wood. I kept moving the pieces until I found him and he managed to cut my wrist but, a hole formed underneath him and he almost fell through. But, before he could fall to the ground I grabbed his wrist and he looked up at me. "Who are you?" Crow asks, talking to himself. He was starting to slip because we were both wearing gloves. I then used my powers to make my team disappear and send them back to the city.

I pulled Crow up and he was then safe. I then walked away from him, but he then grabbed my ankle and I looked down at him. "Who are you? Answer me." Says Crow. "You already know me, Crow." "What?" Crow asks. I then got my foot out of his grip and continued walking away from him.

The others then came to help Crow. Kalin looked right at me and came running towards me. So I stopped walking and I blocked his attack, but the wrist that got cut started to bleed and hurt more. "You almost killed him!" Says Kalin. "In case you didn't notice, I saved him from falling!" Yusei and Jack then tried to stop Kalin. Yusei grabbed Kalin around the ribs and pulled him away from me, while Jack grabbed me in between my ribcage and my waist trying to be respectful towards me being a girl. Crow then ran over to us and tried to figure out who I was. I looked at him and he recognized my eyes, but then Kalin breaks free of Yusei's grip and starts running towards me and I got myself out of Jack's hold in order to fight him. Crow then tries to get involved to stop Kalin and becomes in between us and I wasn't going to harm him so I stopped, but then Kalin grabs me by the arm. "Kalin, let go of her!" Crow says. I managed to get my arm out of his grip and push him away from me and near the ledge. Kalin caught his balance, but he wasn't done with me yet. So, he charges at me. I then take out my whip and it hits him across the chest. "You'll pay for doing that!" Says Kalin. I then put my whip back where it belonged. "Kalin, why are you doing this?" Crow asks. "She hurt you Crow!" Says Kalin. "She also helped me and stopped me from falling." Crow says. "She would have let you fall." Says Kalin. "Jack, Yusei, you guys believe me don't you?" Crow asks. "Of course we do Crow." Says Yusei. "Well, it doesn't matter what any of you think! 'Cause I'm finishing this and I'll be ending it!" Kalin says. "You can surely try, Kalin. But you will fail!" "We'll see about that!" Says Kalin. "You can't defeat me, boy!" "That's it!" Kalin says. He starts running toward me, so I charge at him. I managed to get my arms around his waist and push him towards the ledge, but he hit ended up punching me in the stomach. I managed to kick him in the side of his head and he almost fell over the ledge. I then risked myself and then we both fell over the ledge and to the ground hard, but away from each other.

Yusei, Jack and Crow couldn't see us from up there, so they headed down where we were.

They managed to find Kalin with very little injuries.

Jack ended up finding me, but was shocked that I was standing. I then almost fell, but Jack caught me. "You okay?" Asks Jack, while holding onto me. I just look into his violet purple eyes. "I'm fine, just make sure Crow is alright." I then push myself off of him and make myself go through the wall to not be seen again during that night.

Then two weeks after that, Kalin's team went to dual the toughest dual gang in the Satellite and Yusei was versing someone from that team and then Yusei got pulled over a rail on a roof and the guy let go and Yusei ended up falling. Lucky for him, I got there and used the whip that I had and it wrapped around his arm. And he grabbed onto it and looked up at me. "Hang on, Yusei!" Yusei looks up; about four stories up, seeing me leaning over the rail, holding him up by my own strength. "Skylara!" Yusei says. "I got you!" I was straining, trying to pull and hold Yusei up, the rail was beginning to give way, bending under my weight. Both Yusei and I yell as he falls further and I try to stay on the roof. I was then hanging halfway off the roof, one of my hands on the broken railing, my other one reaching out with the whip and my legs still on the roof. The railing started to give even further, the metal itself was ripping apart. "Skylara! Listen, that rail won't hold us! Just let go, you hafta…" Says Yusei. "No! Yusei, you're my brother! If you fall, then I'm falling with you!" "…Thank you…" Yusei says.

The guy that pulled him over the rail was on the side of me. "You're goin' to join him sweetheart." I look at him from the corner of my eye. "You can try." Before he grabbed me, I threw the whip to the other rooftop and it wrapped around the railing. Then the guy grabbed me by the hair and the throat. He then started bringing me near the ledge. "Stop it, leave her out of this!" Says Yusei, yelling. He wasn't listening. "You shouldn't of even came to help him sweetheart. 'Cause now who's going to save you."

"Let 'er go!" The guy turns and it's Jack. "You really think I'm goin' to listen to you?" He then pulls my hair, hard. "I mean it! Let 'er go now or you'll regret it!" Jack says. "Is that a threat?!"

Kalin then got to Yusei and started pulling him up and Crow helped with that. The guy saw this happening, so I took the chance and managed to get out of his hold. He reacted fast enough and ended up grabbing at my wrist with a lot of force. Only Jack couldn't take it anymore, seeing that happening to me and ended up knocking him over, roughly, making him release my wrist. He was knocked out since he hit his head hard enough. I was behind Jack at that moment, since he sort of made it happen that way.

But Jack didn't realize that there was another guy behind us, that was from the same dual gang as the one he had knocked out. He ended up getting a hold of me, having one of his arms wrapped around my waist and the other wrapped around my arms. "Jack." Jack turned immediately after I called his name, seeing the hold I was in. Jack was not happy with where this guy had his arms wrapped around me. Jack didn't like that his arm was wrapped around my waist one bit. "You take your filthy hands off of 'er right now!" Says Jack. He then moves the arm wrapped around my arms and places it on my shoulder. He then does the worst thing he could think of and ends up kissing me on the lips. That just got Jack furious and made him charge towards him. He then stops kissing me and that's when Jack got a hold of him. "Skylara, now's your chance go." Jack says. I was able to get out of his hold on me, but he ended up moving Jack out of the way making him collide into me. Jack was able to stop himself from severely injuring me. "I'm sorry. Keep moving though, don't worry about me." Says Jack. I then ended up getting myself up, but I couldn't get away fast enough. The other guy ended up getting a hold of my jacket and with a lot of strength ended up tearing my jacket off, purposely, which ended up tearing off the back of my shirt. So my whole back was bare after that, but thanks to my hair being really long my back was covered. Only because of all his strength in doing so I ended up falling to the ground, but then looked up at them making my body turn to the side. Jack knew it was purposely done to me in order to get him really mad. Jack charged at him again, only this time the other guy moved himself out of the way and he ended up charging into me, making us both fall over. Jack ended up falling on top of me, so his body was on top of mine. Jack realized at that point that something went wrong because I was hardly moving at all. I was breathing, but him being heavier than myself caused something in my body to break. Jack moved his body off of mine, but stayed kneeling over me. I was then at least able to turn myself over to my side, but that's all I could really move myself. Jack could easily tell that I was hurt badly, but couldn't really do anything about it. The guy was on the ground, so he wouldn't be able to put his hands on me again.

Jack's boot ended up knocking him out, but he stayed right there just in case though. Considering Jack and I had been friends longer than I had been friends with Crow, he worries about me the most. Well besides Yusei, but he's my brother, that's his job. "Thank you, Jack." Jack then helped me sit up and put his vest over my shoulders. Jack then walked us over to the other roof where Kalin and Crow had finally gotten Yusei up. Yusei then walked over to us, after thanking Kalin and Crow for helping him up. Jack was cradling me in his arms the whole way there. "Thanks Skylara. If it weren't for you throwing that rope to me, I probably wouldn't be here right now." Yusei says. "Anytime, Yusei." "What happened to you?" Asks Yusei. I end up collapsing into Jack's chest, since I was in his hold already. "Skylara!" Yusei says. Jack continues cradling me in his arms. "What's wrong with her?" Asks Crow. "She's just exhausted and I think she might have broken her sternum." Jack says. "Yeah, she hasn't really slept lately." Says Yusei.

By the time I woke up, I was still being cradled in Jack's arms and my head was lying against his chest. I could feel the pain from my broken sternum. When I looked to Jack's side, Yusei was right there. I realized that he was at his side the whole time and so was Crow. Jack was carrying me, so he was with me at least and he did protect me by as much as he did. Our relationship became stronger than ever that day. However, that was four years ago. We're going to what's happening now. So, our story begins, four years later.


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1: On Your Mark, Get Set, DUEL _

Begin with a beautiful shot, panning up the side of a building with a KC logo on top, and then pan around it, to reveal a beautiful aerial view of the city by day.

And then immediately zoom over to the exterior, then interior, of a huge, fancy stadium, with lots of lights and pyrotechnics. "Duelists young and old, professional and amateur alike, it's the moment you've been waiting for! Make some noise for the number-one ranked turbo duelist in the world, Jack Atlas!" The announcer says, his voice booming over a microphone.

Jack appears, flying into the stadium on his bright white duel runner, his face on the huge holographic screen behind him.

The crowd cheers.

In the back, Hunter Pace is out by the coolers, while Jack shows off.

"As he looks to add to his unbeaten streak today, one begs the question, can anyone take this man down?" Asks the announcer.

"What say we kick this turbo-duel into overdrive!" Jack says. He speaks in a British cockney accent. Jack's wearing a white, form-fitting, motorcycle suit, and a basic white helmet.

The stadium roars with cheers.

While everyone else is cheering and happy to see Jack Atlas, someone else is not so happy and cheery to hear or see him. Skylar Alektra, a woman, with fair-skin, long, knee-length, wavy, raven black hair and emerald green eyes is up in the building, watching through the window. Skylar is wearing a black, skin-tight, bodysuit, with black, thigh-length, high-heeled boots. Skylar also has a black, thigh-length, half-skirt, that only covers the back and part of the sides. The inside of the skirt is purple. So, the skirt doesn't cover Skylar's pelvis area, but the bottom half of her outfit does along with everything else. Skylar's outfit has purple lines under her chest line, around her ankles, one small line on each boot on the front of her thighs, some on her arms and a few other places, as well. Skylar carries a whip on her right hip, that attaches to the side of her outfit somehow. Skylar also has black gloves, that go long to her mid-upper arms. The fingers of the gloves are dark blue and she has a mask only covering the bottom half of her face. On the sides of Skylar's thighs to the sides of the bottom of her ribcage is dark blue. Upon Skylar's face of what the half-mask doesn't cover is that she has a few scars that are healed up, but is noticeable if someone would look at her face from certain angles or sides. But it's easy for the scars to be ignored, since they didn't leave Skylar's face looking too badly, she looks almost exactly how she used to before she had the scars. Skylar has a scar going down the left side of her head, all the way down past her mask. Skylar also has a scar across the orbital bone on the right side and a scar over and around her right eye, its almost a miracle that she still has a right eye at all and that she's still able to see out of it. Skylar's height appears to be 5'4", her weight seems to be 123lbs, and her bust size looks to be a 34D.

"Miss. Alektra." Says a girl, with fair-skin, thigh-length, blonde hair, tied with a simple red bow, and blue eyes. She's wearing a white blouse, under a blue jacket, that ends in the front abdomen above a yellow belt, but falls past her orange skirt in the back. She also wears orange heels, with ankle straps. Her height appears to be 5'2", her weight seems to be 105lbs, and her bust size looks to be a 32B.

She stops when she reaches Skylar's side. "Well, well. If it isn't Jack's sixteen-year-old personal handler. Miss. Minako Aino." Skylar says. "Um, that's Mr. Atlas." Says Minako. "To you maybe, but to me…" Skylar says. She shakes her head. "No." Says Skylar. "But Miss. Alektra, what about your loyalty to Mr. Atlas?" Minako asks. "My loyalty is to Mr. Goodwin. It's your job to have loyalty to Jack." Says Skylar. "But, whenever Mr. Atlas or Mr. Goodwin are around you always seem to have loyalty towards Mr. Atlas." Minako says. "One, because I have to at least pretend to have loyalty towards Jack. And two, I work with him when Goodwin tells me to which is almost all the time." Says Skylar. "But, what about Mr. Goodwin's trust in you or Lazar?" Minako asks. "Lazar and I don't trust each other. And truthfully, I don't trust Goodwin even though his trust is in me." Says Skylar. "Miss. Alektra, where exactly did you come from?" Minako asks. "That is classified." Says Skylar. She starts walking away, but Minako follows close behind her. "Come on, you can tell me. Trust me, I'm not going to tell Mr. Goodwin, Mr. Atlas, Lazar or anyone. It'll just be between you and me." Minako says. Skylar then stops and faces the window again, leaning against a railing of some sort. "Please, Miss. Alektra." Says Minako. Skylar looks at her from the corner of her eye. "Truthfully, Minako. I don't know where I'm from, and can you please stop calling me that." Skylar says. "What?" Asks Minako. "As in, I can't remember where I'm from exactly." Skylar says. "Oh, amnesia?" Asks Minako. "Yes, something like that, I guess." Skylar says. "Don't worry, Skylar. I won't tell anyone." Says Minako.

"Well, I see you two have finally officially met."

Skylar and Minako both look over to the side.

Lazar, a short, effeminate man, who resembles a clown, with spiky, lavender hair and two red lines running over his eyes, vertically, and wearing red lipstick is standing there. Lazar is wearing a red coat, with a black collar and gold trim, over a white shirt, with gold lining, white gloves, white pants, and black and gold boots. Lazar is shorter than both Skylar and Minako. Since Skylar is 5'4" and Minako is 5'2, this puts Lazar at 4'11" at the least. "What do you want, Lazar?" Skylar asks. "Nothing, nothing at all Miss. Skylar." Says Lazar. "Well, then why are you here? Did Mr. Goodwin send you to find me or deliver a message to me?" Skylar asks. "No, no, nothing like that. Besides, if he wanted you he would have contacted you himself. Not that I see a reason to since you are pretty useless." Says Lazar. "Why you little insignificant suck-up!" Skylar says. "I'd watch your tongue, my dear." Says Lazar. There's suddenly a beep. Skylar lifts up her right arm and a little device, sort of like a little communicator, is attached to her glove just above her wrist. The communicator looks like a little orb and it's flashing in blue. Skylar presses something on it and a tiny hologram of her employer, Director Rex Goodwin is seen. Minako and Lazar bow to him, respectfully, acknowledging him. "What is it, Sir?" Skylar asks. "Remember after this duel to meet up with Jack and bring him to me, immediately. Do you understand?" Asks Goodwin, via-hologram. "Yes, Sir." Skylar says. "Good." Says Goodwin, via-hologram. Skylar presses something on the device again and his hologram vanishes, ending the conversation.

Across the sea from the stadium, just on the horizon is another, very different world. A dingy, gray trash town, full of factories that clog the air with so much smog, the sun cannot be seen. Among the run-down buildings runs a street, with the pavement cracked so deeply, light seeps into the subway tunnel below.

In the tunnel, Yusei Fudo races along on his red duel runner. Yusei wears a long-sleeved, blue jacket, with a high collar and amber gems, over a sleeveless, black shirt, with a red symbol, and wears gloves below his elbows, with an amber gem on them. Yusei's lower body consists of black jeans, amber knee pads, a belt, with two deck holsters hidden under his jacket, and calf-high, motorcycle boots. The speedometer on Yusei's screen reads 220-245 kph, fluctuating. _"I'm comin' for ya, Jack. And this time, I'm gonna settle the score!"_ Yusei thinks to himself.

Back at the stadium, Jack continues his warm-up lap.

"With one warm-up lap to go, the rematch of the century is about to get underway! But will the competition ever show its face?" The announcer asks.

Yusei rides on through the tunnel, speeding up and weaving, shooting up sparks from the ground.

At the stadium, Jack and his opponent line up at the starting line.

"And, Hunter Pace has finally shown up, eager to regain his title!" Says the announcer.

"I'll fire things up." Jack says. He presses a button on his runner console, and both screens show the field spell card 'Speed World' on their screens. "Dual mode, engaged. Autopilot standing by." Says the computer. The area around the duelists turns pink, setting the stage for the duel.

"With their 'Speed World' field spells activated, the actions about to start! Now, for those of you joining us for the first time, let's review the rules of engagement. Once 'Speed World' has been activated, the only spells a duelist can use are speed spells. Normal spells now take a back seat to the action. Additionally, a rider's strength is now governed by the duelist's speed counter; the more speed a duelist has, the stronger the move they can make!" The announcer says.

Jack and Hunter await the starting countdown, silently.

The cheers seem to fade into the background.

"Turbo-duelists, countdown initiated. Ready, set, duel!" Says the computer. Then both runners take off, and both duelists start with 4000 lifepoints. "Yer all mine!" Hunter says, whispering.

Cheerleaders in blue and white wave their pompoms and cheer. "Turbo-duel! Turbo-duel! Turbo-Duel!"

As the duel progresses, Hunter summons a big, flaming monster, Skull Flame.

"And Hunter has played a powerful trap. Can Jack Atlas recover?" Asks the announcer.

Jack draws, and plays a card, never even looking. "You've had your fun, but it's time for my victory lap! Now, I'm sure you remember my Red Dragon Archfiend from our last match, Hunter. And since you worked so hard to get back here, you can have the honor of falling to my most powerful beast again!" Jack says. He goes into a backward skid, driving backwards as he commands his mighty dragon, so he can see Hunter get blasted. "Archfiend, send him back to the junkyard with Scorching Crimson Flare!" Says Jack. As he launches his attack, Hunter loses the rest of his lifepoints in a fiery blast.

Yusei's engine blows up and he skids to a halt, jammed into a concrete alley. Yusei gets off of his runner and takes off his matching red helmet, looking at the tendrils of smoke wafting from his engine, disappointedly, then up at the sky through the cracked pavement. With his helmet off, Yusei seems far more vulnerable and forlorn. Yusei has tan skin, with royal blue eyes and black hair, with gold highlights on the upper layer of his hair. The upper layer of Yusei's hair juts upward, while the lower layer arches down. Yusei's height appears to be 5'9" and his weight seems to be 145lbs.

Hunter Pace gets off of his runner back at the stadium and throws his helmet to the ground, angrily, swatting at the steam gushing from the vents on his runner.

"And Jack Atlas's unbeaten streak continues." The announcer says.

"Who's the one master of faster?! Who rules the duels?! That's right, it's me!" Says Jack.

Up in the building still watching is Minako, Skylar and Lazar. "Mr. Atlas is absolutely incredibly amazing!" Minako says. "That's why Mr. Atlas is undefeated Miss. Aino." Says Lazar. Skylar just starts walking away from them both and walks past him, almost knocking him over. "Um, excuse me, I was standing right there. In case you've forgotten." Lazar says.

Skylar suddenly stops. "I didn't forget you were there, Lazar." Says Skylar.

"So then explain yourself for your actions just now." Lazar says.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Says Skylar.

"You better start showing me some respect around here. After all, I'm older and I have more authority than you." Lazar says.

"Thing is, Lazar. You don't deserve respect unless you end up respecting others and giving respect back. Which oh yes, you never do besides Goodwin." Says Skylar.

"You're only eighteen, which makes you pretty much nothing compared to me." Lazar says.

Then for some reason, yet out of nowhere, Skylar turns to face him and charges at him, as if she was told to or forced to out of no freewill. Skylar has her right forearm over Lazar's throat and has him up against the window off of his feet. Skylar then closes her eyes, as if forced to. "You release me right now or you'll be sorry!" Says Lazar. Skylar reopens her eyes, only they're not emerald green anymore, they've become a glowing crimson red. Lazar now has the look of fear in his eyes and face. "Listen very carefully, Lazar!" Skylar says, her voice sounds different than what it was, it sounds like there are two different voices talking, like an echo, making her sound rather menacing. "Yes, of course, anything to keep my life." Says Lazar. "You may be older and have more authority over me. However, I am bigger than you, I am stronger than you, and I am now more dominant than you." Skylar says. "Yes, of course, I completely understand." Says Lazar. Skylar then releases him and he falls to the ground, holding at his throat and coughing. "Now, if you don't mind. I have something to do." Skylar says. Her eyes soon return to their normal emerald green color and she grabs at her forehead, as if overcome with a sudden headache. Skylar suddenly collapses to the floor landing on her knees, but Minako runs over to her and holds her by her shoulders. "Skylar, are you alright?" Asks Minako. "Yes, I shall be." Skylar says, her voice is back to how it normally is. Skylar then takes her hand off of her forehead and looks up at Minako. "However, what just happened to me?" Asks Skylar. "What do you mean? Are you saying you can't remember?" Minako asks. "I can't remember what just happened a minute after the duel ended until just now." Says Skylar. "Will you be able to get Mr. Atlas? You seem to have gotten a bit weakened somehow." Minako says. "I shall be fine. However, I have to go before Atlas gets annoyed by the paparazzi." Says Skylar. Minako helps her up to her feet, at least. Skylar then goes on ahead and down some stairs.

As Yusei pushes his runner back to the garage, and, as he trudges in, overhears the TV, the crowd is chanting… 'Jack! Jack! Jack!'

Yusei's three friends are crowded around the tiny screen in the run-down makeshift home in an abandoned subway tunnel watching the duel that just happened. "Mr. Atlas, can we get a word? Ever since you burst onto the scene with your first duel runner, the competition hasn't been able to keep up! Is it the power in your ride that has catapulted you to the number-one ranking in the world?" The announcer asks, via-screen. Jack hits him and grabs the mic. "Guh!" Says the announcer, via-screen. "Let's get this straight, it's not the runner, it's the rider! I'll take on anyone on any ride, and I'll still be victorious! Any more questions?" Jack asks, via-screen. "One more. Do you have anything to say to those out there who dream of one day challenging you?" Asks the announcer, via-screen. The three guys intent on the TV, don't notice Yusei.

Yusei reaches over and revs the engine to announce his presence. "Yes." Jack says, via-screen. "Oh, uh, hey, Yusei." Says Blitz. "Bring it...!" Jack says, via-screen. Blitz clicks it off.

"Sorry 'bout that, we woulda watched the duel somewhere else, Yuse, honest. But, the cable rigged couldn't stretch any further!" Says Tank. "Jack was amazing, as always!" Nervin says. "Nervin, zip it, wouldja!" Says Blitz. "What, whadd' I say, Blitz?" Nervin asks. "He doesn't wanna hear about how amazing Jack Atlas was!" Says Blitz.

Meanwhile, Yusei appears to be plugging in a diagnostic screen of some kind to assess why his engine blew. "Oh, sorry." Nervin says. "Only one person should be sorry." Says Yusei. "Right. Jack still owes you for what he did." Blitz says. "Got that right." Says Yusei. "So whereya been, Yuse?" Tank asks. "The tunnels, testing out a new acceleration chip." Says Yusei. "So're ya gonna tell us if the chip worked out, or what?" Tank asks. "Duh, Tank, does it look like it worked?" Asks Blitz. "I guess not. Although hey… your other runner looked great on TV…" Tank says. "Tank!" Says Blitz, yelling. Tank shoves him away. "Just tryin' to make our friend feel better is all! That is Yusei's duel runner! I mean, if it weren't for Jack double-crossin' Yuse and stealin' his ride, Yuse would've been given' that interview! But 'cause Jack got all famous with Yuse's runner, all the fame, fortune and glory are Jack's now!" Tank says. "Tank!" Says Blitz, yelling. "Whaat?" Tank asks. Yusei works away, patiently, trying to ignore them.

Rally runs through what appears to be an entrance kiosk, long abandoned, and down a set of stairs. "Yusei! Hey, Yusei! Are you down here?!" Asks Rally, yelling, coming down the stairs.

Yusei looks up from his work, as their friend runs into the hideout. "In here, Rally!" Blitz says, yelling. "What's up, little buddy?" Asks Tank.

"Wait'til you see what I've got for Yusei!" Rally says. He hurries over to Yusei and the runner. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Asks Nervin. "'Cause you always have bad feelings." Blitz says. Rally reaches into a pocket of his thin, blue robe, and pulls out a little computer chip, holding it between a finger and thumb, carefully. "Check it out! A Skyline Thirty acceleration chip!" Says Rally. "That's a Skyline? Aren't these incredibly expensive?" Nervin asks. Blitz grabs Rally's wrist, scrutinizing the chip. "Huh?" Asks Rally. "It looks like it's never been used. Don't tell me you stole this!" Blitz says. Rally pulls his hand away. "I didn't steal nothin'! It was just lyin' on the ground in broad daylight. Maybe someone dropped it." Says Rally. Blitz, Nervin and Tank exchange incredulous glances. "Rally, ya shouldn't a taken what don't belong to ya!" Blitz says. "You know how things are here! Nobody leaves nothin' just lyin' around." Says Tank. "You always treat me like a kid! You know, if she was still here, she would be backing me up 'cause she never treated me like a little kid!" Rally says. "Rally, you know better than to talk about her." Says Nervin. "Oh, Yusei, I'm so sorry. I forgot what we promised." Rally says. Yusei starts to feel a little upset about it, but doesn't show it. "I don't really mind if you talk about her." Says Yusei. "You still really miss her, huh?" Rally asks. Yusei nods. "I think of her everyday and night. Trying to think where she could be and where Jack took her or what Jack might've done with her." Says Yusei. Nervin kneels down next to Rally, and points to a little tattooed triangle next to Rally's eye. Rally looks very put out, getting scolded. "If they saw you… they'll track us down and mark us all." Nervin says, addressing Rally. "Easy, Nervin. Rally, let me see that." Says Yusei. Rally places the chip in his gloved palm. Yusei looks at it and then turns to go back to the runner. "This is just what I needed." Yusei says. "You can't use that, Yuse." Says Nervin. "You gotta make Rally take it back." Blitz says. "I knew you'd like it! I knew it! Will it make you faster?" Asks Rally. Yusei is already plugging the little chip into a slot on one of the circuit boards. "Absolutely." Yusei says. "Well, then maybe he shouldn't return it." Says Tank. "Tank!" Blitz says, yelling. "What?" Asks Tank. "We know how you feel, Yuse, but I think it's time to bury the past, move on, and forget about Jack Atlas." Nervin says. "But, Jack also took Yusei's best card, remember Nervin?" Asks Rally. "And you remember Jack's in the City, and the people over there don't take too kindly to those of us from the Satellite." Nervin says. "Yeah, and in case you forgot sometimes you gotta stand up for yourself!" Says Rally. "Yusei, us Satellite's should just stay put." Nervin says. Yusei doesn't stop typing. "Jack didn't stay. So why should I?" Asks Yusei. "Let 'im go, bro. Don't risk your freedom for some wheels and a card. I think Nerv's right. 'S time to put the past in the past." Blitz says. "So, pretty much you're both saying that Yusei should leave Skylara in the past, too? Don't you see that's Yusei's true mission? Yusei will never forget and I'll surely never forget what Jack did… to Skylara." Says Rally. He falls to his knees and hands. Yusei and the others look over at Rally. "Yusei, ever since it happened, I feel like it's my fault that she's gone. I mean, Jack got his hands on her 'cause you were savin' me." Rally says. Yusei touches his shoulder and he looks up at him, with tears going down his cheeks. "Rally, it isn't anyone's fault that she got taken but Jack's." Says Yusei, consoling. "But, she would still be here if it wasn't for me." Rally says. "There's one thing that I don't get from that whole thing. Jack took her with him to the City, right?" Asks Nervin. "Right." Yusei says. "The thing is, why exactly did he take her with him? I mean, I know that they 'had a thing' for a while, but that doesn't explain why he took her." Says Nervin. "I don't exactly know the answer to that, but her and Jack weren't together when he took off to the City." Yusei says. "You guys, I probably know why Jack took her with him. It's 'cause maybe he still cared for her. It's been three years now though and you haven't heard from her since. Plus, how old would she be know?" Asks Rally. "She was fifteen when Jack left for the City and it's been three years. Her and I are the same age. So, she would be eighteen by now, like me." Yusei says. A sudden noise. The others fall silent as, with a moment of tinkering, Yusei's engine gives a powerful roar that echoes down the tunnel. His friends gasp, awed. Yusei pats the front console, proudly. "Wow! Now that's what I call power!" Says Rally, yelling, happily. Yusei nods. Rally offers Yusei his helmet. "Take it out for a spin! Let's find out what it can do!" Rally says.

Loud noises and bright searchlights through the crack in the street above the tunnels. A helicopter is hovering above the street.

"What's that?!" Asks Tank. "It's Sector Security!" Nervin says.

"Identification number AWX86007 you're in possession of stolen property! Escape is not an option! You're surrounded!" Says the loudspeaker.

Everyone, except Yusei, looks at Rally.

"We have you surrounded, 86007." The loudspeaker says.

"Look whatcha did!" Says Blitz. He raises a fist and Rally shields himself with Yusei's helmet. "I didn't do nothin'! Blitz, I promise I didn't steal anything! It's like I said before it was just lying there and nobody was around!" Rally says. "None of that matters, Ral…" Says Blitz. Yusei puts out a hand to stop them. "It's gonna be fine." Yusei says. "So what should we do?" Asks Blitz. "There's nothing we can do. That mark is like a homing device, it sends a signal to Security!" Tank says. Rally touches the triangle-shaped mark on his cheek. Yusei types something into the runner's keyboard. "I got that covered." Says Yusei.

"Ugh! The signal! It's been compromised!" A guy in the helicopter says.

Yusei climbs onto the runner and accepts his helmet from Rally. "I bought you guys a couple of minutes." Says Yusei. "Where do you think you're goin'?" Blitz asks. "You take the east tunnel. I'm gonna take this chip out for a test-drive!" Says Yusei. He turns the runner, raising sparks from the ground, and roars away.

"You heard the man, let's bolt!" Blitz says. The others nod, and they start running.

Yusei skids into the hallway, drives up the stairs, and races out onto the street.

Another figure on a runner is waiting ready to chase him. "This intel is perfect. Central, the prize is in my sights. Lock onto my signal!" Says the male figure, into a microphone on his helmet. He races off after Yusei, and another police car and a helicopter follow him.

As Yusei rides down a highway, he finds himself riding inside a search beam, already. _"Man, I didn't think they'd be on me this quick!" _Yusei thinks to himself. He hears sirens behind him.

"You on the runner! Pull over! There's no use trying to escape!" The figure says.

Yusei leads them down abandoned streets, surrounded by worn-down industrial buildings, until he finally skids sideways to a stop.

The other runner follows suit, the car parks, and the helicopter seems to have left. Showdown. The officer on the runner parks, gets off of it, and approaches Yusei, near-silhouetted in the car's headlights. He presses a button, the visor on his helmet retracts, and his face can know be seen and is known as Officer Trudge. "Huh. Remember me, Yusei? It's been a while since the Center. I'll thank Jack for setting up this reunion." Says Trudge. Yusei listens, silently, from the look on his face, he already knows it's no coincidence that this officer has a personal grudge against him. This is no random police raid, this is a trap! "Hahaha! Jack said with the right bait, Rally would lead us right to you! I knew we shoulda locked you up when you were a kid! Looks like I'll finally get my wish. And with you and Rally off to the Facility, Jack'll have one less thing to worry about. Now tell me, are you going to make this easy and come along quietly?" Trudge asks. "I will, if you can beat me." Says Yusei. "Hahahahaha! I see you still think you can out duel Sector Security. It's too bad the rules say you Satellites can't carry cards." Trudge says. Yusei shows him his dueling deck. "Rules were made to be broken, weren't they?" Asks Yusei. He slots his deck in a wrist-holster built into his left-hand glove, and rotates it perpendicular to his wrist. "Now if I win this duel, Rally and I are free to go, no questions asked, Trudge." Yusei says. One of the officers from the car speaks up. "The law does not negotiate with…" Trudge holds out a hand to shut him up. "And what's in it for me, should I accept your proposal?" Asks Trudge. "But article four-B clearly states that…" The officer says. Trudge cracks his knuckles. "Well allow me to 'clearly state' this get moving or else!" Says Trudge. "This is highly improper!" The officer says. "I said, move. Or would you prefer to be working on trash detail?" Asks Trudge. "Back to Command Central everyone, direct orders." The officer tells the others. The other police get in the car and leave.

Leaving just Trudge, Yusei, and their runners. Without the headlights of the police car, it's dark. "Well, should you accept and win, you'll tell Sector Security to call off their hunt for Rally." Yusei says. "And how does that benefit me?" Asks Trudge. "'Cause I'm gonna say it was me who stole the chip, and that I tried to flee the scene but couldn't outrun your pursuit. A statement like that'll probably bump you up to sergeant. So whaddaya say, Officer?" Yusei asks. Trudge walks back to his runner. "You've got yourself a deal… fool!" Says Trudge. Yusei wheels around to face down the street, while he drives over beside him… there's no starting line, but they're at the same point with an open space ahead. They both lower the visors on their helmets. "Here we go. I'll engage the 'Speed World' field spell." Trudge says. "Duel mode engaged. Autopilot activated." Says the computer. Duel-disk-like panels extend from their dashboards, and the air around them turns purplish-pink. They start with 4000 lifepoints each. "Let's ride!" Both Yusei and Trudge say. They're off in a heartbeat.

The two duel-runners dash across a steel grating, no more than a blur. "I can't wait to finally put you away." Says Trudge. He brings out his monster Assault Dog, which has 1200 attack points, 800 defense points and is a level 4 monster. "And my Assault Dog's gonna help make sure of it! With it on the field, I place a card face down and end my turn!" Trudge says. With the end of his turn, both sets of speed counters rise to 1.

Yusei then draws a card. "It's my move, then. And with the power of my speed counter, I can summon… Speed Warrior!" Says Yusei. Speed Warrior has 900 attack points and 400 defense points.

The stats flash across the inside of Trudge's visor. "You never were good at math, now, were you? I mean that monster's attack points are less than mine! Why bother summoning him out?" Trudge asks.

Speed Warrior's attack points then double.

"Hey, why'd his attack points double like that?!" Asks Trudge.

"I heard you were at the bottom of your class at the Academy, and I can see why now." Yusei says.

"Huh. Still a wise-guy, I see. I expected nothing less." Says Trudge.

"Well! Did you expect my Speed Warrior to take out your Assault Dog? Go! Hyper-Sonic Slash!" Yusei says.

Trudge's lifepoints then go down to 3400. "You always were a know-it-all. Well I'm about to teach you a brand-new lesson, Yusei!" Says Trudge. Assault Dog is re-summoned, running along beside his runner.

Just as Speed Warrior skates along with Yusei.

"See, when Assault Dog is sent to the graveyard because of an attack, I can summon another one from my deck to take its place!" Trudge says.

"Still usin' the same old deck, I see! I play a face down and end my turn!" Says Yusei. Speed Warrior's attack points go back down to 900.

"And now that your Speed Warrior's attack points are halved, I remove my Assault Dog from play to bring out… Handcuffs Dragon!" Trudge says. Handcuffs Dragon has 1800 attack points. "Here's a quick math lesson…with eighteen-hundred attack points, your Speed Warrior's about to get subtracted from the playing field!" Says Trudge. They then turn a corner, he skids sideways ahead, pointing his dragon back toward Yusei.

"Not if I play my face down, 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow'! With this I can absorb your dragon's attack and save my Speed Warrior!" Yusei says.

Trudge is in a confident sideways skid. "You mean, that would've happened, if not for the 'Wiretap' trap card!" Says Trudge.

_"Come on, Yuse, focus! You can't let this guy push you around!" _Yusei thinks to himself.

"Handcuffs Dragon, take out his monster!" Trudge says. He races back the other way, back past Yusei. Burn. "Your deck's made up of cards others threw away, and no matter how you patch it up trash is still trash!" Says Trudge.

"It's my turn! I summon Sonic Chick in defense mode!" Yusei says. Sonic Chick only has 300 defense points. "Next, I place two cards face down and end my turn!" Says Yusei.

"Hahahahaha! Just like a Satellite, to hide behind junk! Well, I'll flush you out! Heh… one, two, three!" Trudge says. He sends a card to the grave on each count. 'One' looks like another Assault Dog, 'Two' is a monster called Guard Dog with 1500 attack points, 500 defense points is a level 3 monster and an earth type monster, and three is a monster called Tactical Espionage Expert with 1300 attack points, 1200 defense points is also a level 3 monster and is also an earth type monster. All three are low-level monster cards. "Hahahahaha! Now by sending those three cards to my graveyard, I can special-summon Montage Dragon to the field!" Says Trudge. Montage Dragon has 3000 attack, ? defense points, is a level 8 monster and is an earth type monster. "And with a powerful beast like that in play, it's only a matter of time before this duel is over and I get to turn you in!" Trudge says.

Montage Dragon's attack points are equal to the total level of the monsters sent to the graveyard, multiplied by three hundred.

Montage's stats flash across Yusei's visor. "Quite the beast." Says Yusei, murmuring to himself.

"Wait'til you see it in action! But first, my Handcuffs Dragon is taken' out your Sonic Chick!" Trudge says.

It's destroyed, Yusei grimaces.

Trudge turns to the side again, sliding forward while facing Yusei. "And with her out of the picture, I'm just one attack away from putting you away for good! Go! Power Collage!" Says Trudge.

Yusei weathers all 3000 points of the attack, and loses all but 100 of his lifepoints, his speed counters go from 4 to 1. "You may have knocked me down, but it'll take more than that to knock me out!" Yusei says.

"There's not a card in your deck that can save you now!" Says Trudge.

_"He's right. But I've never relied on just one card before, and I don't plan on starting now."_ Yusei thinks to himself. In his hand he holds 'Backup Soldiers' and 'Speed Spell-Vision Wind' as he reaches for his deck, ready to draw.

Out in the quiet trash-town of the Satellite, two duel runners zoom across a metal grating late at night. _"Let's see what I've got for you." _Yusei thinks to himself. "It's go time. I summon out the Junk Synchron tuner monster." Yusei says. Junk Synchron has 1300 attack points, 500 defense points, and is a dark type monster.

Junk Synchron is a level three tuner monster. Tuner monsters combine with other monsters to form more powerful synchro monsters.

"You have a tuner monster?! That can't be!" Says Trudge.

"And yet somehow it is. Next up, I activate the 'Graceful Revival' trap card! And it allows me to do what us Satellites do best… recycle my Speed Warrior from my graveyard! Now I tune my Junk Synchron with my Speed Warrior, to synchro-summon Junk Warrior!" Yusei says. Junk Synchron tugs a starting cable on his side, and the little motor on his back whirs to life. He glows, shines, then turns into a sparkling ball of light, soaring into the sky. It separates into three stars, that fade to their outlines and becomes three soaring rings. Speed Warrior flies through the rings, as they line up perfectly. Speed Warrior's form turns to outlines wrought of golden light, from head to foot, and it becomes its two level stars. A column of energy appears parallel to the path of Yusei's runner, drenching him in bright light. "Let's rev it up!" Says Yusei. Out of the light appears his new monster, a warrior-robot made of purple and white scrap metal. The red lights on his eyes flare to life, and he punches the air, ready for battle. Junk Warrior has 2300 attack points.

"Clever move, but your monster's still not strong enough to stop my Montage Dragon! Looks like after all that you still underestimated the power of my beast!" Trudge says.

"And you underestimated the power of my deck! Go, Vision Wind!" Says Yusei.

"My Vision Wind?! You won that from me on your last day at the Re-Education Center! What're you going to do with it?!" Trudge asks.

"Win this duel! As I'm sure you remember, with it I can special-summon one level-two or below monster from my graveyard, and I summon, my Speed Warrior! With it on the field, Junk Warrior's special ability activates, making Junk Warrior nine-hundred points stronger!" Says Yusei.

"How could I let a punk kid from the Satellite Sector get the upper hand? With that power!" Trudge says.

"My Junk Warrior's gonna make sure me n' Rally stay free!" Says Yusei. Junk Warrior attacks Handcuffs Dragon.

Which reduces Trudge's lifepoints to 2000. "I bet you thought that by attacking, you'd only be hurting me, when in fact you really just hurt yourself!" Trudge says. Handcuffs Dragon attaches to Junk Warrior, its points fall to 1400. "But that's nothing new, is it, Yusei? As I recall you were always one to act first and think second. Reminds me of the time you tried to break curfew with Rally. You never thought you'd be caught, but one never does until they are. I can still remember the scared look on Rally's face." Says Trudge. They ride out onto a pair of perpendicular bridges. "And I can't wait to see it again once your friend is rounded up." Trudge says.

"Well keep waiting, 'cause I'm not losing!" Says Yusei.

"Not what?!" Trudge asks.

"I activate the trap card, 'Equip Shot'! This releases my warrior from your dragon's grip, and lets me use its ability against you!" Says Yusei.

"Rrgh! You can't use my mother against me!" Trudge says.

"Growing up on the streets, I learned to become very resourceful, using everything to my advantage. And that includes using my opponent's own move against themselves! Junk Warrior, end this!" Says Yusei. Junk Warrior soars in and clobbers Montage Dragon.

Trudge's lifepoints fall to 0. "Aaaaaaggggh!" Trudge screams. His screen shows an ominous red X, and steam pours from vents on the runner. Trudge skids to a stop, steam in his face, and the purple air fades. They're back on the empty streets. "There goes my promotion. Guess I'm going back to being a duel runner meter maid." Trudge says.

Yusei comes to a more controlled stop a distance away, and addresses him. "You mentioned earlier how you wanted to teach me a lesson. Well how 'bout I leave you with this… don't underestimate us Satellites or our decks, 'cause what you see as weakness is what truly makes us strong." Says Yusei. He then rides away.

Trudge hears the last part of his statement through a radio on his runner. "Tell Jack thanks for the chip!" Yusei says, via-radio. "Rrrgh, things ain't over between you and me." Says Trudge.

Yusei doesn't ride far before he pulls over, takes off his helmet, and looks at the distant gleaming city across the ocean, beginning to sparkle in the early dawn. A gentle breeze stirs Yusei's hair. _"Get ready, Domino City. I'm coming."_ Yusei thinks to himself.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: Creepy Crawlies**_

The purplish sunlight reflecting from the cracked pavement of the Satellite suggests perhaps its sunset.

In the tunnels below, Yusei is once again riding his runner at top speed. _"You beat me once, Jack, but I learned my lesson."_ Yusei thinks to himself, remembering.

Flashback, in sepia tone, to a duel with duel disks between Yusei and Jack, with Tank, Nervin, Rally and Blitz spectating, somewhere in the above-ground streets of the Satellite in the middle of the day.

Skylara was still around during this time, as well.

"You'll never win this duel, Yusei!" Jack says.

"You sure are sure of yourself!" Says Yusei.

"Hmm. Just sure, that I'm gonna beat you! Yusei, bring it on!" Jack says.

"You got it, Jack! Junk Warrior, send 'im to the scrap heap!" Says Yusei. Junk Warrior attacks, but is suddenly trapped by electrically sparking iron chains. "Ugh! What's that?!" Yusei asks.

"It's my trap, 'Shadow Spell'! And with it, I'm gonna finally put an end to your unbeaten streak, Yusei! Now, Mad Archfiend, attack!" Says Jack.

"Hunh!" Yusei says. His lifepoints drop to zero. Yusei falls to his knees and punches the pavement. _"How did I let that happen?!" _Yusei thinks to himself.

"Yusei!" Says Skylara. She runs over to Yusei's side. Skylara goes down to her knees and touches Yusei's shoulders. "Are you alright?" Skylara asks. Yusei doesn't answer her. Skylara then glares up at Jack for what just happened.

Jack isn't even really pay attention to Yusei. Jack's focus is mostly on Skylara with pity in his eyes, but hidden under sympathy towards her.

The other four all gasp, in surprise. "Did he just lose?!" Asks Rally.

Jack walks over to Yusei, standing over him. Yusei looks up at Jack from the ground, frustrated and upset. "He did, and do you know why our friend just lost? Because his deck has no balance. And without balance, one cannot be a complete duelist. But you know that already, don't you, Yusei?" Jack asks.

Skylara then stands and walks up to him, without any hesitation, causing him to step away from Yusei. "That is enough, Jack. You already won the duel. So, just go back to your abandoned building and keep pretending to be the 'Absolute King' that you think you are." Says Skylara. "I'll always have respect for you, but I can't see why you choose these losers over someone like me. We've been friends for the longest time." Jack says. "You have changed, Jack. You are not the same guy you have been almost your whole life. You are becoming too self-absorbed. All I ever wanted was to make my friends lives happy as best as I can, but instead you spent it worrying about the life I live and the people I live with." Says Skylara. Jack takes a hold of her hand and lifts it up, holding it between them. "That's what friends are for and do." Jack says. Skylara removes her hand out of his hold. "Then as my friend, you must learn to let me go." Says Skylara. She then turns away from him, but a little upset with her, Jack grabs a hold of her upper right arm with a lot of force, sort of causing her to collide into his chest, but tightening his grip with every ounce of rage. "You know I would never find it in my heart to hurt you in anyway." Jack says. "Jack, let go of me. You are hurting me right now." Says Skylara.

Yusei gets up and intervenes, getting Jack's hold off of her arm and stepping between them. "Don't you ever touch my sister like that again!" Yusei says.

Skylara suddenly collapses to her knees, clutching at herself, as if sudden pain had just struck every inch of her body.

Yusei faces Skylara when he hears something hit the ground, walks over to her and then kneels down to one knee, trying to see to her. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. An aerial shot of New Domino, and pan down to the sea. Jack's sky-high plush apartment, a penthouse atop a skyscraper in New Domino City, boasts a sparkling ocean view.

Jack is standing at the wall windows, gazing out over the few buildings between his place and the ocean. Jack is fair-skinned, with purple eyes and spiked, blonde hair, with two much longer strands in front of his ears that hang further down from the rest of his hair. Jack's wearing a sleeveless, black shirt, gray pants and white boots. Visible on Jack's bare right forearm is a wing-shaped symbol, like a dark red tattoo. Jack's accessories include earrings in the shape of the letter A, the first letter of his last name. Jack's nineteen, his height appears to be 6'0", and his weight seems to be 162lbs. _"Ahhh, now this is the view that I was always meant to have. Even if I did have to double-cross a few friends to get it. Hm. And to think that it was only a few years ago that I was living amongst the losers and garbage of the Satellite. Huh. I'm glad that nightmare is over. Well, there was one person who wasn't a loser though." _Jack thinks to himself. He then looks at the card in his hand, the sunlight reflecting off it keeps from seeing its picture. _"Hmmm. Stardust Dragon, I wonder if Yusei still misses you." _Jack thinks to himself.

"Quite the view, isn't it, Jack? Still thinking about your days in the Satellite?" Asks Goodwin. He is standing in the doorway, recalling Jack's attention to the present, and the interior of his home is revealed. It's a split-level, with a set of stairs leading back and forth on their way to a walkway that overlooks the bottom floor. Jack and Goodwin are standing in sort of the living room, there is no furniture besides a table, a cabinet by the door and a picture on the wall. Not only is there a wall of windows, there's also a skylight above it. "I'm done thinking about that dump, Goodwin." Jack says. "That's good, Jack, because dwelling in the past can sometimes cost you your future. And we've worked too hard to let that happen. Now, shouldn't you be focusing on your match for this evening?" Asks Goodwin. "Hmph!" Jack says. He whirls and throws Stardust Dragon across the room and straight into the middle of a deck on the table, it's only slightly crooked. "I'm plen'y focused, Goodwin. You don't have to worry about me dwelling in the past. 'Cause if I had my way, Satellite would've been destroyed years ago." Says Jack. "I understand how you feel. But the Satellite plays a valuable role in our society." Goodwin says.

A Satellite factory at work, including Tank, Blitz and Nervin on a production line. "Everyone has been given a role in life. Those from the Satellite exist so that the Chosen may prosper. They keep our city functioning by recycling what the Chosen discard. Without the Satellite, New Domino City could not exist. Glamorous a role it is not, but a necessary one for everyone's survival. But you know that already, don't you, Jack! How silly of me to give a history lesson to someone who experienced it firsthand. Now, leave your memories of that place where they belong, it's time for you to make new ones." Says Goodwin, in voice-over.

"You're right." Jack says. He looks down at his arm, and then out the window. "But what if my past comes looking for me?" Asks Jack.

In the Satellite, Rally stands in a patch of sunlight shining through the cracked pavement, holding up a running stop watch that reads 00:02:44:57 and counting, and listening to the approaching sound of Yusei's engine.

Yusei zooms by and Rally ducks away, stops the watch, looks at the time and smiles, amazed and excited.

Yusei comes to a stop a ways down the tunnel, tires steaming and Rally runs over. "Yusei! That's your best time yet!" Rally says. He shows him the time on the watch, Yusei pushes a button on his red helmet to retract his visor. "You think it's gonna be fast enough to getcha to New Domino City?" Asks Rally. "It better be!" Yusei says. "I just know it's gonna work!" Says Rally. "I hope you're right. Time me again!" Yusei says. He puts his visor back on and takes off.

Rally watches Yusei go, enchanted.

Jack is staring out the window, looking troubled. "Jack, you're a part of New Domino City now, and the only link you have to the Satellite is Yusei Fudo. And you can rest assured that we're taking every precaution to keep that link buried." Says Goodwin.

At the factory that evening in the Satellite.

Tank, Nervin and Blitz are carrying stacks of boxes. "Okay, Nervin, your turn!" Tank says. "I'm thinking a cheeseburger with bacon and extra onion rings." Says Nervin. "Oh-ho! Don't forget the french fries and an extra-thick milkshake!" Blitz says. "Good one!" Says Tank.

Ahead, a trio of toughs is lounging around on a bench near the walkway.

"Or lemonade." Blitz says. "Mmm. But nothin' beats dippin' hot french fries into a cold chocolate shake! It really brings out the flavor. Oh, I could dream about it! So guys, y-you think we'll ever taste a real cheeseb… whoa!" Says Tank.

One of the toughs, referred to as Lenny, puts out a foot and trips him. Blitz and Nervin drop their boxes, immediately, scattering their contents every where and run over to make sure Tank's okay. "Tank!" Blitz says. "What happened?!" Asks Nervin. "Nngh. I fell." Tank says. "On the contrary. It's actually called 'trip'." Says Lenny. One of his cronies, a guy with a short-cropped haircut, a blunt, round chin and sharp shades, speaks next and his name is Lug. "Hah! It looks like he scuffed up ya shoe real bad. Whaddaya think he should do about it?" Lug asks. The third guy, a kook, with an impossibly horizontal hairdo, a tracking dye mark under his right eye, a purple shirt and a maroon tie, referred to as Larry, giggles crazily. "How 'bout he buys me a brand-new pair a' kicks and we call it even? I wear a size eleven." Says Lenny. Nervin is helping Tank to his feet. "You'll get nothin', got that? Unless you wanna bruise to match that mark on your face. It'd be an improvement!" Blitz says. Lenny puts a hand to the tracking dye under his right eye shaped vaguely like a claw, apparently sensitive on the subject. "I'll show you an 'improvement'!" Says Lenny. He grabs Blitz by the collar. "Guys! Little help…" Blitz says. Lenny punches him in the face.

Later. Rally is bandaging up Blitz, Nervin and Tank's scraps and bruises, while they sit on the couch in the small home in the subway tunnel, and in the background Yusei is working on the runner. Usually, that would have been Skylara's job to tend their scraps and bruises, but considering the circumstances of being missing and has never returned yet, someone had to fill in for her. Only the guys can tell the difference between Rally's and Skylara's tactics. "All better." Says Rally. "Oh, really? Then could you please explain to me why it still hurts so much? I thought you knew what you were doin', Rally! Ugh. Yeah, an' I guess I did too when I stood up against that bully. Boy was I wrong, I mean, they just ran us over!" Blitz says. "I know! I didn't even get a chance to get in the fetal position!" Says Nervin. "And now I gotta buy some new shoes for that guy." Tank says. "Guys, come on! Lighten up! Yusei maxed out his duel runner!" Says Rally. "Yeah, like how maxed out?" Blitz asks. "Enough to get outta here." Says Yusei. "Ha! You shoulda seen him n' his runner speeding threw the tunnels! It was like vroooom! Then wssh! Then shroom! Yusei, are you gonna go for it tonight? You gonna try and get to Domino City?" Rally asks. Yusei nods. "Uh, does anybody aside from me have a bad feelin' about this?" Asks Blitz. "I do, but that's not really saying much, 'cause I always got a bad feeling about everything." Nervin says. "Yeah. But don't worry, guys, because I got it all planned out. I think." Says Yusei. "Huh…?" Rally, Tank, Nervin and Blitz all ask.

At Sector Security headquarters. Trudge is glancing through a handful of cards, wearing a huge grin. "Captain, I know you're less than happy about Yusei getting away, but is this new pursuit deck really necessary? 'Cause I don't need any help catchin' that Satellite!" Says Trudge. "Well, judging from your last duel with him, I beg the differ. Now listen up. If I had my way, you would've been handing out parking tickets until you retire, and this special pursuit deck would've gone to someone who goes by the book. But apparently Mr. Jack Atlas thinks you deserve a second chance. And when Jack Atlas says to do something, I do it." The captain says. "So what are my orders?" Asks Trudge. "Find Yusei and his duel runner and bring them in. There are some very powerful people that want him off the streets, permanently." The captain says. "Hmph. Understood, Captain." Says Trudge. "And just you remember, there are no third chances with Mr. Atlas. Am I making myself perfectly clear, Officer Trudge?" The captain asks. "Yes, Sir. He may have caught me off-guard in our last duel, but next time I'll be ready. And will he ever be surprised! Thank you, Sir. You won't be disappointed. When you lock onto the chip's homing signal, let me know." Says Trudge.

In the subway tunnel hideout. Nervin, Rally, Tank and Blitz crowd around Yusei and his runner. Yusei types one-handed on his keyboard, wearing a metal device on his forearm, possibly to facilitate the typing or tinkering. "So what's this plan you think might work, Yusei?" Tank asks. "Oh, it's gonna work, Tank!" Says Rally. "Well, I hope you're right, Rally. 'Cause if everything falls into place, Stardust Dragon will be mine again, and we'll all be one step closer to leaving the Satellite." Yusei says. "Yuse, are you sure that card is worth the risk? I mean, you really think that card's gonna make a difference?" Asks Blitz. "Of course it will! Don'tcha remember the feeling when you saw it in action? 'Cause I'll never forget it!" Tank says.

Flashback. A pair of duel disks are sitting on a table in the foreground, abandoned. Tank, Nervin, Blitz and Rally are standing around Yusei and a white duel runner. Jack leans on a wall off to the side and Skylara is sort of in the middle of the two. Mostly because the relationship between Jack and Skylara is just starting to fall apart, as is the friendship between him and Yusei. "Seein' the duel runner Yusei built from spare parts from the recycling center was amazing. And then when Yuse started it up and showed us what it could do, it was like a whole new world opened up!" Says Tank, in voice-over. "Yeah, and then when he summoned his Stardust Dragon, I couldn't believe my eyes, or ears! I mean, you were screaming at the top of your lungs, Blitz!" Nervin says, in voice-over. Stardust Dragon appears in triumph over the streets of the Satellite. The four of them cheer! Tank punches his palm, Nervin and Blitz fist-bump and Rally runs toward Yusei, arms upraised in a cheer. Rally then runs toward Skylara and wraps his arms around her in an embrace. Jack is once more removed from the action, leaning against the side of a building. "That's right. I lost my voice for a week after all that hollerin'. Too bad Jack took away our dreams." Says Blitz, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Well Yusei's about to get them back! 'Cause with this new runner, Jack doesn't stand a chance!" Rally says. "Yeah! What're we waitin' for?!" Asks Tank. "Midnight tonight." Yusei says. "Huh?" Asks Rally, Nervin, Tank and Blitz. "Why? What's at midnight?" Nervin asks. "The tiniest of opportunities." Says Yusei. He brings up a diagram on the screen. "Check this out, guys. See, the only way between the Satellite and New Domino City is this sewer pipeline here. Problem is, they flood it with trash twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. But once a month at midnight, they shut the system down to check the compressor pumps. Then a maintenance hatch is automatically opened, and that's when I'll get my chance to make it through." Yusei says. "A sewer? That sounds… a bit… unhygienic. The odor and fumes alone…" Says Nervin.

"…Remind us of you!" Lenny says. Larry giggles. "Yeah, you stink like the garbage you recycle!" Says Lug. "How's the healing goin'?" Lenny asks. Larry giggles. Yusei looks up. "Hey, you with the hair! Rrrgh, you think you're a tough guy?! 'Cause I'll show you what tough is!" Says Lug. Larry giggles. Lenny is cracking his knuckles. "That's a pretty sweet runner you got there." Lenny says. Larry and Lug come forward to back up their boss. Blitz comes between them and Yusei's runner. "How much do ya want for it?" Asks Lenny. "The runner's not for sale, so beat it." Blitz says. "Well if it's not for sale, how 'bout you give it to me instead of the shoes we're here to collect." Says Lenny. "That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me." Lug says. Larry giggles. "Or would you prefer I go topside and tell Sector Security that you're riding an illegal duel runner down here?" Asks Lenny. "At times like this, where's Skylara when you need her?" Rally asks. "I guess I'll have to do taking her place this time. Why don't we duel for it?" Says Yusei. Lenny seems slightly unnerved by the look in his eyes. "Huh. Duel me? You might as well just hand it over to me now. 'Specially if you duel like your buddies here fight." Lenny says. He, Lug and Larry laugh. "Well how do these stakes sound… I win, and that runner's mine. You win, and we leave you alone." Says Lenny. He holds out an arm, Lug then attaches a duel disk to it. "So…?" Lenny asks. "Don't duel 'im, Yusei." Says Blitz. "He's just a bully." Nervin says. Yusei puts his turbo-duel deck back into its box on his belt and reaches for his regular duel deck. "And bullies never learn, unless you stand up to them." Says Yusei. "But what if you lose to 'im, Yuse?" Blitz asks. The duel disk component detaches from Yusei's runner and clicks onto a special sort of arm-brace he's wearing. "We'll be fine, Blitz." Says Yusei. "Ha! I think I'll change the color." Lenny says. "Don't do it, Yuse! Please! This runner is the key to our… our…" Says Tank. "Future. That's why I have to do this." Yusei says. "Well, your future's comin' with me. So you better start makin' new plans for tomorrow." Says Lenny. Him and his cronies laugh, and walk away down the tunnel.

Yusei and Lenny face off across another stretch of tunnel, having walked from the hideout to a good area. Here it comes… "Let's duel!" Lenny and Yusei both say.

The street above is bathed in weak, Satellite sunlight.

Underground, it's dark. "Your move!" Says Yusei. "I can't wait to get my hands on that runner! Here goes! I summon Chainsaw Insect in attack mode!" Lenny says. Chainsaw Insect has 2400 attack points.

Yusei's friends exclaim. "I've seen big bugs down here, but nothing that big!" Says Tank. "It is quite the arthropod, isn't it?" Nervin asks. "You know Nervin, now I know why Skylara always called you a nerd." Says Blitz. "And why's that Blitz?" Nervin asks. "'Cause, you say comments like that." Says Blitz.

"Yes it is, and next I'm playing the spell 'Retribution of the Ant Lion'! I always knew that there were bugs down here in these tunnels, butcha gotta trust me when I say that you guys haven't seen anything yet!" Lenny says.

'Retribution of the Ant Lion' is a spell card that deals eight hundred points of damage to the controller when his monster is destroyed.

"Uh-oh, Yuse don't like bugs!" Says Tank. "Yeah, ever since that roach nested in his ear, he freezes up if you just say the word 'insect'. I sure hope this doesn't throw 'im off his game!" Nervin says. "Come on, Yuse! You can do this!" Says Blitz.

"Scared of creepy crawlies, huh? Hmm! Well then this duel will have you comin' face-to-face with your worst fears!" Lenny says.

"You got 'im shaken' in his boots, boss!" Says Lug. Larry giggles.

"Not for long, though. 'Cause I'm summoning… my Shield Warrior in defense mode!" Yusei says. Shield Warrior has 1600 defense points. "And next, I place one card face down." Says Yusei.

"Ha! You really are afraid! Looks like you forgot how to attack!" Lenny says.

"I bet he don't even finish the duel." Says Lug. Larry giggles.

"Well, there's only one way to find out. I summon Pinch Hopper, in attack mode!" Lenny says. Pinch Hopper has 1000 attack points, 1200 defense mode, is a level 4 monster and is an earth type monster. "I see the fear in your eyes, and it's only gonna get worse! 'Cause by sendin' a card to my graveyard." Says Lenny. He sends Metal Armored Bug to the graveyard. "I can play 'Insect Costume'! And add a scarier insect to my hand!" Lenny says.

Lug cheers and Larry giggles.

A big millipede emerges from Pinch Hopper's back and disappears. "This next part, you should enjoy. 'Cause now I have to destroy my Pinch Hopper." Says Lenny.

"But if he destroys a monster, then won't his lifepoints take a hit?" Tank says.

Lenny's lifepoints go down to 3200. "Huh? What just happened?! Did I… did I just attack myself?!" Asks Lenny.

"I think bug boy forgot that he still had his 'Ant Lion' spell on the field." Blitz says.

"Huh? Oh yeah, that was all part of my plan. 'Cause you see, by getting rid of my Pinch Hopper, I can do this. I activate its special ability, and call out a creepier insect to the field to take its place. Like my powerful Metal Armored Bug!" Says Lenny. Metal Armored Bug has 2800 attack points and is a level 8 monster. "When Sector Security dumped me here in the Satellite, I thought I'd spend the rest of my life sifting through the trash. But your runner's gonna get me outta this dump and back to where I belong!" Lenny says.

"I think it's feedin' time for your bugs, boss!" Says Lug. Larry giggles.

"Whoa!" Tank says. "Yuse, try imaginin' that bug's a soft, cuddly kitten." Says Blitz. "Well, Blitz, it's going to take quite the imagination, considering kittens don't have claws like that." Nervin says.

"Well, his imagination must be good if he thinks he'll win! And after this next move, your pal's gonna wish that he never challenged me!" Says Lenny. Insect Knight and Pinch Hopper appear on the field, as he removes them from play in order to do this… "I special summon Doom Dozer!" Lenny says. Doom Dozer has 2800 attack points. "I bet your world's spinnin' round and round right now, isn't it? And it's only gonna get more outta control! Chainsaw Insect, it's time to attack!" Says Lenny.

"Not so fast! I play my face down, 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow'!" Yusei says.

"Guh-ahh!" Says Lenny.

"And thanks to my trap card, your insect's attack is repelled and my warrior's safe! Unfortunately, I'm only allowed to use this trap card once per round." Yusei says. 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow' goes back to being face down on the field.

"Ha! Since your bug trap's all used up, let's see how you save yourself this time! Metal Armored Bug, attack! Take out his Shield Warrior!" Says Lenny.

It does.

"Aaaah!" Rally, Blitz, Tank and Nervin all say.

"So are you finished?" Asks Yusei.

"Oh, so now you're a tough guy! Well my spell 'Retribution of the Ant Lion's' gonna soften you right up!" Lenny says.

Retribution hits Yusei for 800 and his lifepoints go down to 3200, before he can recover from that…

"And now Doom Dozer's gonna shock you into submission!" Says Lenny.

Yusei's spectators gasp. "Yusei!" Rally says, yelling.

"Doom Dozer, attack!" Says Lenny.

"Oh, no. Yuse must be too scared to fight back." Blitz says.

"Them bugs're gonna squash him!" Says Lug. Larry giggles.

The field around Yusei is still smoking from the attack, he has his arms crossed over his face against the assault, a skill that he learned from watching Skylara duel in the past. Yusei's lifepoints sink from 3200 to 400. _"If I__'__m gonna stop those insects, I gotta trust in the power of my cards." _Yusei thinks to himself.

"Come on! Are you ever gonna attack?! You know this Skylara chick that your buddies were talking about earlier. She sounds as if she can pull off a duel better than what you can. Then again you never know, I've never met 'er. So she might just duel just like how you are now. A disgrace to the name of dueling." Lenny says.

There's silence.

Rally groans, apprehensively.

After a moment. Yusei brings his arms down from protecting his face, not looking to happy after what Lenny just said, and draws a card. If there's one thing Yusei doesn't tolerate, it's someone who decides to disrespect his sister. "How's this for an answer? I summon out… Speed Warrior!" Says Yusei. Speed Warrior has 900 attack points, 400 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is a wind type monster. "And with it I'll play the spell 'Double Summon', which means your bugs are about to find themselves in double the trouble. 'Cause now I can summon out another monster to the field! But ganging up is something you bullies know all about, now isn't it? That runner… is staying put. And Junk Synchron's gonna help make sure of it!" Yusei says. Junk Synchron has 1300 attack points.

Yusei's spectators cheer. "Yeah! Let's go, Yusei!" Says Rally, cheering.

"Now with Junk Synchron and Speed Warrior finally on my field, I can synchro-summon Junk Warrior." Yusei says. Junk Synchron tugs the cord of the engine on his back. First it, then the rest of him, start to glow, and he becomes a fireball of light, soaring upward, sparking and disappearing to form three shining stars, which turn into rings. They flit around each other in perfect formation and lower to float around Speed Warrior, turning him into just glowing outlines from head to toe. A green line of light, then a bright flash, and… "Junk Warrior, let's rev it up!" Says Yusei. Junk Warrior appears, silhouetted in the bright light and is ready for battle! Junk Warrior has 2300 attack points.

"Oh, no! With that kind of power, my insects don't stand a chance!" Lenny says.

"Don't worry, boss, he's still afraid! Just throw some more a' your bugs his way!" Says Lug. Larry giggles.

"I'm not afraid of anything when my 'Fighting Spirit' equip spell card is in play! See, for each monster that you have on the field, my Junk Warrior gains three hundred attack points!" Yusei says.

"I knew Yuse could do it! Now it's time to exterminate them insects!" Says Tank. "And save your runner!" Rally says.

Junk Warrior is now 3200 attack points stronger. "Oh, no… with all those attack points, my bugs're gonna be stomped by that thing!" Says Lenny.

"He can't take 'em all out, boss!" Lug says. Larry giggles.

"And I don't have to, once I play 'Domino Effect'!" Says Yusei.

With the spell card 'Domino Effect', for every card on your field that you send to the graveyard, one of your opponent's monsters is destroyed.

"Aw, man! But I was so far ahead!" Lenny says.

"Junk Warrior! Send his Chainsaw Insect to the scrap heap!" Says Yusei.

"Uhhhahh…" Lenny screams, stunned.

"And now, by sending two cards to my graveyard, 'Domino Effect' activates! Your bugs are about to fall." Yusei says. He sends 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow' and 'Fighting Spirit' to the graveyard.

The bugs topple onto each other like dominoes, Lenny and his buddies cower.

"You and your buddies came down here looking to intimidate us, threaten us, and push us around. Well next time, you might wanna think twice before messing with me and my pals. 'Cause we're gonna stand by each other through thick and thin!" Says Yusei.

"Yeah! You tell that Domino City castoff that he'd better watch his step the next time he comes down here. 'Cause we aren't gonna stand for any more of his bullying tactics!" Rally says.

"You fought a good duel, but my runner's staying put just like you. See, with your 'Retribution Ant Lion' spell card still in play, you take damage for each monster my 'Domino Effect' took down." Says Yusei.

Lenny's lifepoints get zapped down to zero.

Yusei's friends cheer. "Yusei won! He won!" Tank says, yelling.

Lenny falls to his knees, shocked. "Man, I was so close to winning that runner." Says Lenny.

Yusei walks across the field towards him. "You had me on the ropes there for a while, and I wasn't sure how I was gonna get through the duel. But an old friend…" Yusei says.

His crowd 'huh's'.

"…once told me that when your back's against the wall, and it feels like there's no way out, as long as you trust in the power of your deck, you can find a way out of any situation." Says Yusei.

Flashback. Yusei is still at Skylara's side, not wanting to leave her in whatever pain she is in. "Yusei, you have to learn to rely on your entire deck. Don't you see that you could've beaten me today if you only believed in the strength of every card you duel with! Believe, and you will feel their power." Jack says. He brandishes his right arm, almost as if holding a second duel disk. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Yusei looks at his own right arm. "That day, a very valuable lesson was taught to me. A lesson I'll never forget. And it's the belief I have in the power of my cards that gave me the strength to win this duel." Says Yusei. "Man. I thought that runner was mine…" Lenny says. He then stands up. "…Yusei, maybe me and you… can be friends someday. Next time, we duel topside." Says Lenny. Yusei smiles. "But no bugs, okay?" Yusei asks.

Night, at Jack's estate. Maybe Jack's just getting in from his match, maybe he's riding a few laps to work off some tension, either way, he's riding his duel runner around a bowl-shaped track that surrounds the mansion. "Jack." Says Goodwin, via-radio. Jack brakes and takes off his helmet, looking up at the night sky.

Goodwin approaches Jack. "Bravo. You dueled well tonight." Goodwin says. "And Yusei? Are things going according to plan?" Asks Jack. "Yes. Sector Security has informed me that we have nothing to worry about." Goodwin says. Jack looks upward to the bright full moon above.

The moon is also visible through a crack in the Satellite pavement, but somehow dimmer, maybe it's the factory smog. Yusei stands looking up at the moon, silently. _"Look out, Jack. I'm comin' to take back what's mine." _Yusei thinks to himself.


	4. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: Pipe Dreams**_

Late at night, the lights of the sewage plant, including its huge pipes, glitter beneath a slightly foggy full moon.

Yusei watches the moon through a crack in the pavement.

"You've only got one shot at this, Yusei. The maintenance hatch opens at midnight, and only stays open for three minutes after that." Nervin says. "He knows." Says Rally. "Then they flood that pipeline with garbage." Nervin says. "He knows!" Says Rally. "And as soon as you jump over the sewage plant's fence, the security'll be…" Nervin says. "He knows! Try being positive for once, Nervin!" Says Rally, yelling.

The clock ticks to 11:15 PM on Yusei's runner screen.

"I thought I was." Nervin says, sheepishly. "Hey, Yusei!" Says Blitz.

Yusei, already on his runner, looks over at him.

Blitz is standing with Tank, Rally and Nervin on the walkway beside the tunnel. "Can you really do this?" Blitz asks. "A test-run is one thing, but, uh, the real thing is something else. If they catch you, it…" Says Nervin. "Don't listen to these guys, Yusei. Just, uh, I dunno, hit the gas and don't ever look back." Tank says. "Almost forgot!" Says Rally. He jumps down and hurries over to Yusei.

"Here! For good luck!" Rally says. He hands Yusei a card, and he looks at it. "What is it, Rally?" Asks Yusei. "Turbo Booster!" Rally says. The card picture is of a yellow, jet-powered robot with two big, detachable rocket-powered arms. "Wasn't this your dad's card?" Asks Yusei. Rally nods. "I want you to take it. Like my dad always says, you never know when you might need a boost. I just hope it can help you get back your Stardust Dragon from Jack!" Rally says. Yusei starts the engine, puts on his helmet and visor. "One last thing Yusei. When you find Skylara…" Says Rally. "You mean if he finds her, Rally." Nervin says. "No, I mean when he finds her. 'Cause, I know he will. Tell Skylara, I said hi. Or better, we all say hi." Says Rally. "Don't worry I will. You gonna be on the monitor?" Yusei asks. Rally nods. "We'll go topside, so we can get a clear signal. Now, rev it up!" Says Rally.

"And don't slow down for nothin'!" Blitz says.

Yusei starts the engine and takes off down the tunnel.

"You go, Yusei!" Says Rally, cheering.

"_It's time to settle the score, Jack." _Yusei thinks to himself. He skids onto the bottom landing, then races up the stairs and flies out into the street. Yusei lands, smoothly, turns around, and rides up the street, kicking up sparks from the torn pavement.

At Sector Security Headquarters, a red dot blips on a monitor, moving rapidly… "We have movement! Yusei's gone topside! We picked up the homing signal from the stolen chip!" Techie says. "So, where is he?!" Asks Trudge. "He's in the Easy Sector. Switching to satellite imaging now." Techie says. To the aerial view of Yusei and his runner on the screen. "Where do you think you're going? Lock onto that chip. Then open up a com link and update me. Do not lose him!" Says Trudge.

"Trudge, he just turned off Montague, heading south on Davis Drive." Techie says, via-com link. "On my way, Central!" Says Trudge.

The factory towers belch black smoke, as trash continues to pour into the factories. Yusei races onward.

Blitz checks his watch, 11:56 PM, as Yusei's four friends run down a tunnel. "The maintenance hatch opens in four minutes! Let's book it!" Blitz says. "Wait up!" Says Tank. They climb a ladder. "Careful…" Nervin says. "Not now, Nervin!" Says Blitz. They run onto the rooftop, Blitz with binoculars and Nervin opening the laptop. "Can you see him?!" Rally asks. "There he goes! Aw, yeah!" Says Blitz. "We've got a clear signal on the monitor. Looks like he's approaching the sewage plant." Nervin says.

"Warning! Warning! You are entering an unauthorized zone. Turn back immediately!" Says the computer. Yusei races toward the fence.

Trudge suddenly comes out of nowhere and rams him from the side. "Pull over, Yusei!" Trudge says. _"Trudge?! How'd he find me?" _Yusei thinks to himself. "Where doya think you're goin'? Don't you know it's two hours past curfew, or can you still not tell time? Pull over!" Says Trudge. Yusei ignores him and races ahead.

"Kids these days. Never do what they're told. Huh?! Is he going' for the sewage plant?!" Trudge asks.

Yusei runs over a traffic barrier and leaps the fifteen-or-so-foot fence, bouncing a bit as he lands.

Yusei's friends cheer. "So far, so good!" Says Blitz.

"Panson, come in! Open the security gates, and do it quick!" Trudge says. The gates open, as he speeds through them, hot on Yusei's heels. "He's heading for the compactors!" Says Techie, via-com link. "I'm on him! He won't get far! There's nowhere he can go." Trudge says.

"Uh-oh. Sector Security is closing in on 'im." Says Nervin. "Aw, man, not Trudge again!" Tank says.

Yusei is now racing down a straight corridor.

Trudge is only about ten feet behind. _"This should be fun." _Trudge thinks to himself. "You may've beaten me in our last duel, but I've got somethin' special planned for you and this time I'm takin' you down." Says Trudge.

Yusei looks over his shoulder, startled by his confidence.

"See, with that chip you installed, I can now force you to turbo-duel!" Trudge says. "Duel mode engaged. Autopilot standing by. Overriding suspect's duel runner." Says the computer.

A 'Speed World' spell shows on Yusei's screen, and the duel disk unfolds from the dash. "But how?!" Yusei asks, in a gasp. "Autopilot engaged." Says the computer.

"This wasn't in the plan…" Tank says. "Trudge hacked in somehow." Says Rally. "Well, Yuse needs to get unhacked… there's no time to duel!" Blitz says.

The clock on the monitor reads 11:57 PM. "I let you off the hook last time, Yusei, but this time, me and my special pursuit deck are gonna haul you to the Facility for good! You can't escape, Yusei! Y'see that acceleration chip you installed has enabled me to hack into your duel runner's mainframe! And the only way to break free of the connection is to summon out Gate Blocker in defense mode!" Says Trudge. Gate Blocker has 100 attack points, 2000 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is an earth type monster.

"Huh?!" Yusei asks.

"A-anyone know what that thing does?" Asks Nervin. "I've never heard of that one!" Rally says.

When Gate Blocker is face-up on the field, your opponent cannot gain any speed counters during their standby phase.

"Now, with the perimeter secure, I place one card face down and end my turn!" Says Trudge. His speed counters go up one.

Yusei's remain at 0. _"Nothing happened!" _Yusei thinks to himself.

"Something wrong? Did you just notice that your speed counters aren't increasing? Well they're not going to! See, it's all part of my plan! In our last duel I underestimated the power of your deck and almost wound up back on traffic duty! But unlike you, I learn from my mistakes, and this time you won't be surprising me! But have I got some surprises for you! Such as my Gate Blocker spell card, which has your game stuck in neutral! Seems like an appropriate effect, wouldn't you say?" Trudge asks.

"Why's that?" Asks Yusei.

"Because, just like in life, you're going nowhere. Unless you count being sent to the Facility as going somewhere. Only this time, it isn't going to be some little vacation like your visit to the Re-Education Center. See, this time, Yusei, you're gonna be locked away for a very, very long time." Trudge says.

"Assuming you can catch me." Says Yusei.

At the monitor, the clock beeps midnight, then a three-minute timer starts counting down. "Uh-oh, is it midnight already?" Tank asks. "In three minutes they'll be closing the hatch, and then Yusei won't be able to make it through to New Domino City!" Says Nervin. "Man, Officer Trudge is always gettin' in the way!" Rally says.

At the duel, Yusei can almost see Jack's sneering face, triumphant at his failure. _"If I get out dueled down here, I may never get another chance to settle the score with Jack, and Jack'll never have to answer for what he did. I can't let that happen." _Yusei thinks to himself.

Monitor. "C'mon, Yuse!" Says Tank. "Break away!" Rally says.

Duel. "The green light's mine! And I summon Speed Warrior in attack mode!" Says Yusei. Speed Warrior has 900 attack points.

"Ha! I remember that little toy from our last duel! And I remember that its attack points double on the turn it's summoned. But like last time, it's just too weak. I guess you still haven't learned how to add, have you?" Trudge asks.

Speed Warrior's points rise to 1800, but fall short of Gate Blocker's 2000 defense. _"Okay, Rally. Let's see what this card of yours can do…" _Yusei thinks to himself. "I special-summon Turbo Booster in attack mode!" Says Yusei. Turbo Booster has 0 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is an earth type monster.

When you release Turbo Booster, you opponent's monster is destroyed, if it battled against the monster you summoned this turn.

"He actually played my card!" Rally says.

"Power up!" Says Yusei. Turbo Booster's arms attach to Speed Warrior, like a pair of rocket-propelled shoes, and Speed Warrior launches itself at Gate Blocker. "Speed Warrior, release!" Yusei says.

"So? That don't scare me!" Says Trudge.

"It should, 'cause now Speed Warrior can attack using Turbo's special ability!" Yusei says.

"That's so awesome! I had no idea he could do that with Turbo Booster!" Says Rally. "He might be able to take out Gate Blocker, which means he might be able to break free, which means he might be able to kick into overdrive, which means he might still make it! Of course, he might not." Blitz says.

"Not good enough! Even if you destroy Gate Blocker with that Boost of yours, Gate Blocker's defense is still too strong! And just like our last duel, you're gonna get hurt in this blast, not me." Says Trudge.

Speed Warrior destroys Gate Blocker and Turbo Booster, and Yusei takes 200 points of damage.

"Vroom, vroom, kaboom! I just knew my Turbo Booster card would help 'im out!" Rally says. "Yeah! Go, Yusei!" Says Tank.

Yusei and Trudge turn a corner.

"There it is, the main pipeline. I may still have enough time!" Yusei says. He jumps through a shaft of some sort and hits the ground sparking.

Trudge isn't too far behind him.

"Alright, I'm in!" Says Yusei.

"Panson!" Trudge says. "Sir!" Says Panson, via-radio. "He's gone into the waste disposal system! Switch to the security cameras down there! Don't lose him!" Trudge says.

"Uh-oh. It looks like Trudge isn't giving up." Says Nervin. "Don't worry, Yusei'll shake 'im!" Rally says. "There's no way to shake 'im now, the pipeline's a straight shot!" Says Blitz.

"Ready for another surprise? I activate my 'Broken Blocker' trap so I can play two Gate Blockers!" Trudge says.

"Oh man, more road-blocks!" Says Tank.

"What made you break curfew tonight, Yusei? Are you trying to escape the Satellite?" Trudge asks.

"And what if I am?" Says Yusei.

"Don't you know that your kind don't exactly fit in, in New Domino City?" Trudge asks.

"I'm not going there to fit in!" Says Yusei.

"So what's your plan? We both know you've got some enemies in very high places. You trying to get to New Domino City to settle some score?" Trudge asks.

"Something like that. I place two cards face down and end my turn." Says Yusei.

"Only two minutes left, and eight miles of pipeline to go!" Nervin says. "He'll make it." Says Rally. "Huh?" Nervin asks. "We did six test-runs. Yusei knows what he's doing." Says Rally. "Security wasn't harrassin' him on those test-runs! And by this point, he was so much closer to the goal!" Tank says.

"Ha. There's no escape, Yusei!" Says Trudge.

_"If I don't find a way around those blockers fast, I'll never make it to the hatch in time!" _Yusei thinks to himself.

"You'll never escape, Yusei! And to make sure of it, I'm calling in some backup! By radioing Gonogo to come to the field in attack mode!" Trudge says. Gonogo has 1350 attack points. "Gonogo, move in and take out Speed Warrior!" Says Trudge. It does.

"Rrrgh…" Yusei growls under his breath.

"Ha! Your loss is my gain!" Trudge says.

Monitor. The others all gasp. "Come on, Yusei!" Says Rally.

Duel. "Now it's my move! It's go time. I summon the Junk Synchron tuner monster!" Yusei says. Junk Synchron has 900 attack points. "Then I activate the 'Graceful Revival' trap card!" Says Yusei.

"Ugh! What are you planning?!" Trudge asks.

"Lemme show ya. See, 'Graceful Revival' lets me summon a level-two or below monster from my graveyard! So I'm bringing back Speed Warrior! Now I tune my Junk Synchron with my Speed Warrior, to synchro-summon Junk Warrior! Let's rev it up!" Says Yusei.

Monitor. "Thatta boy, Yusei! Now finish up Trudge and get outta there!" Tank says. "He's gonna take out Trudge's Gonogo now!" Says Rally.

"Go, Scrap Fist!" Yusei says.

Trudge's lifepoints fall to 3050. "Huh! You pulled the same move last time we dueled. You're getting a little predictable, Yusei. But now…" Says Trudge. He draws and his speed counters go to 4. "I'm gonna speed things up." Trudge says. He looks at what he drew. "Hmph. You're not the only one who knows how to soup up your monsters! I summon Jutte Fighter!" Says Trudge. Jutte Fighter has 700 attack points, 900 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is an earth type monster.

"That's a tuner monster!" Yusei says.

"Sure is! And there's still more surprises to come! Jutte Fighter! I tune you to my Gate Blocker in order to summon Goyo Guardian!" Says Trudge.

"Ah!" Yusei says.

"It looks like you underestimated my deck, this time, doesn't it? Now attack!" Says Trudge.

"Agh!" Rally says.

"Hahahaha! Goyo Guardian is a special monster. See, when it attacks, it doesn't destroy anything, it just takes control of 'em and uses 'em to do its biding." Says Trudge. Goyo Guardian lassos and captures Junk Warrior.

"Kinda like the relationship you have with Jack Atlas, huh, Trudge?" Yusei asks.

"You Satellites. You never know when to stop talking back. Reminds me of your sister, she was the exact same way and now look where it got her." Says Trudge.

"What do you mean? Are you saying you know where my sister is?" Yusei asks.

"Wait, are you saying that you don't know?" Asks Trudge.

"Know what? Has something happened to her, Trudge?" Yusei asks.

"Yeah. I hate to tell you this kid, but if you're trying to get to the City in order to find her. Well, this was all a waste of time." Says Trudge.

"What happened to her, Trudge? She's my sister, my twin. If something's happened to her, I have the right to know." Yusei says.

"Aside from your hair color, you two are definitely not identical twins. But, that doesn't matter anymore. She's gone, Yusei. Your sister's dead. I first found out when her record came to the Security Headquarters. I'm sorry kid, but life just isn't fair in the life of someone from the Satellite." Says Trudge.

"No, it's not true. She's not gone. My sister's not dead. I can feel that she's still alive and nothing you say is going to convince me otherwise. You don't know anything about the bond between twins, even given the fact that we're only half-siblings, which always baffled us. But, that doesn't matter. You'll never know what it's been like for me without her for three years. She's in the City, that much I know. But, I'll find her no matter what it takes." Yusei says.

"One minute, forty seconds left!" Says Nervin. "Come on, Yusei, hurry! You're running out of time! Come on, go!" Rally says.

"Nice. With my speed counter at four, I'm now able to crank this hot pursuit up to the next level by activating a speed spell from my hand! Go, Sonic Buster!" Says Trudge.

Sonic Buster is a spell card that deals damage to your opponent equal to half the attack points of one monster on your field.

"When you said you were full of surprises, you weren't kidding!" Yusei says.

"Well I'm glad I didn't disappoint. And guess what, Yusei, I won't be disappointing my superiors either, because this time I'm not gonna let you just walk away when the last card is played!" Says Trudge.

Yusei's lifepoints take a hit.

"And with that attack, it's only a matter of time before your lifepoints are running on empty. Now to make sure you don't pull some fancy maneuver, I'm using a second Sonic Buster to slow your game down!" Trudge says.

"Huh!" Says Yusei. His points take another massive hit, he's down to 50 and is falling behind Trudge's runner.

"Aaah! Now Yuse'll never clear the hatch!" Tank says.

"You won't beat me this time, Yusei, and you'll never escape from the Satellite, 'cause once I win, I'm takin' you in! I can't wait to see you get locked up!" Says Trudge.

Yusei is riding right alongside him, barely keeping pace. Yusei's eyes are hidden by his visor. "Well you're gonna have to keep on waiting, Officer Trudge! 'Cause I'm about to put the pedal to the metal!" Yusei says.

"But I've got all the power." Says Trudge.

"You sure about that? I summon the tuner monster Nitro Synchron!" Yusei says.

"Another tuner monster? Heh! You never were one to give up without a fight! Too bad I got your speed counter all locked up!" Says Trudge.

"That's what you think!" Yusei says.

"Huh?!" Asks Trudge.

"I activate a speed spell, 'Dash Pilfer'!" Yusei says.

Dash Pilfer is a spell card that allows you to gain control of one of your opponent's monsters that's face-up and in defense mode.

"No way! With my blockers on the field, you don't have enough power to play a spell!" Says Trudge.

"You should double-check your screen." Yusei says.

"What the! Bu-but, that's impossible! You shouldn't have any speed counters! Ugh! How can this be?!" Asks Trudge.

Flashback. "Nice. With my speed counter at four, I'm now able to crank this hot pursuit up to the next level by activating a speed spell from my hand! Go, Sonic Buster!" Trudge says. "Oh, no. When I played that speed spell, you must've countered with something!" Says Trudge, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I sure did! So if you think you're the only one full of surprises, guess again! Now I know you're not one for detail, but this little over sight is gonna cost you big time! See, while you were so busy trying to hold my game down, I played 'Slip Stream', which gives me the same number of counters you had when you played your second Sonic Buster! So by trying to slow me down, you only made me faster!" Yusei says.

"That's just like you! Waiting for handouts, latching onto someone else!" Says Trudge.

"'Dash Pilfer'! Get in there and rescue Junk Warrior! Trudge, after all these years, you still don't know anything about me. All you ever see are rules and them being broken, but you've never stopped to ask why, have you. I guess it pays well to be ignorant, doesn't it?" Yusei asks.

"Ogh!" Says Trudge.

"This is no time to be lecturin'! You've only got thirty-five seconds!" Blitz says. "He's almost there!" Says Rally. "All you gotta do is slip through that side-hatch before it closes, Yusei!" Tank says.

The maintenance hatch Yusei has planned to use as a gateway to the City comes into view down the tunnel, it's there, and it's open, he just has to get there.

"That hatch! You're planning on using that to escape from the Satellite!" Says Trudge.

"Took ya long enough to figure that out! Guess nothing gets by ya, does it, Trudge? That is, nothing but me and my duel runner!" Yusei says.

"Well I'm just one move away from proving you wrong and locking you up for good!" Says Trudge.

"Not gonna happen, 'cause I'm about to rev things up one more time!" Yusei says. Nitro Synchron begins to glow, he floors his engine, and his speedometer reads 251 km/h.

"Another synchro-summon?!" Asks Trudge.

"That's right! Now, Nitro Synchron, give Junk Warrior a tune-up!" Yusei says. Junk Warrior turns into a maze of golden outlines, punctuated by five glimmering stars, that line up in the center of two green rings, creating a tunnel of light. "I synchro-summon, Nitro Warrior!" Says Yusei. Nitro Warrior has 2800 attack points. "Trudge, I got one last surprise for you! If my Nitro Warrior attacks on the same turn a speed spell was used, it gains a thousand attack points!" Yusei says.

"It what?!" Asks Trudge.

"And with that your Goyo Guardian is a goner! Nitro Warrior, attack with Dynamite Crunch!" Yusei says.

Trudge takes the hit. "This ain't over yet, Yusei!" Says Trudge.

"Oh, yes it is! See, Nitro Warrior loses one thousand attack points, it's still strong enough to destroy Gate Blocker and win this duel!" Yusei says.

"Rrrrgh!" Trudge growls under his breath.

Nitro destroys Gate Blocker.

"Ohwaaaaugh!" Trudge's screen shows a big X and starts to steam, his runner skids to the side.

"He won!" Says Rally, Blitz, Tank and Nervin. "He made Trudge wipe out!" Blitz says. "Too bad he couldn't stop the clock." Says Nervin. It ticks to zero. "Oh!" Blitz says. "The hatch is gonna close!" Says Nervin. "And that means Yuse won't be able to escape!" Tank says. "Rev it up, Yusei." Says Rally.

The hatch is closing and the rest of the tunnel is opening up, letting large pieces of debris cascade toward Yusei. "Ogh!" Yusei says. He dodges, weaves, rides around over the top of the tunnel, skids beneath what looks like a huge cardboard box, continues the skid sideways through the last few feet of closing door. _"Come on, stay on target!" _Yusei thinks to himself. He makes it though, just before the door seals and is bombarded with trash.

Trudge is not so lucky. "Aaaaaagh!" Trudge is up to his neck in trash before he can blink twice, being carried along by a massive wave. "Central, override the trash compactor! Override the traaaaaaaaash!" Says Trudge.

"What happened to Yusei?" Tank asks. "Don't know. The screen went blank. Says Nervin. "He made it through the hatch, I just know he did. I just know it!" Rally says. "But if he didn't…" Says Tank. Nervin sighs at the thought, dejectedly. The monitor starts to beep and a red dot moves on the screen's map. "Hey, what's that?" Blitz asks. "I-it's Yusei!" Says Nervin. They all gasp, in awe. Rally starts to laugh, happily.

Yusei rides out into the light of the full moon in New Domino.

"I told you! I so told you! Yeah!" Rally says. "He did it! He actually made it through to New Domino City!" Says Tank. "That's right. I never had a doubt!" Nervin says. Rally laughs.

Yusei rides out of the New Domino side of the sewage plant. As soon as Yusei clears the front door...

"Yusei!"

Yusei skids to an immediate stop and takes off his helmet.

Jack is standing at the edge of a highway that passes above the exit to the plant and is clearly expecting Yusei.

"Hello, Jack." Says Yusei.

Jack laughs. "Long time, no see. How've you been?" Jack asks. He laughs again, or perhaps it's just Yusei's memory. "What's the matter, Yusei? Aren'tcha happy to see your old friend Jack?" He laughs again and it echoes on empty, moonlit streets.

Yusei is silent.


	5. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: A Blast From The Past: Part 1_

All is quiet in the futuristic metropolis of New Domino City, three minutes after midnight. Even at this late hour, the city is lit up. Yusei is sitting astride his runner, looking up at Jack.

Jack's at the railing on the edge of the highway above. "So, Yusei! You made good time, didn't ya! I hope Officer Trudge didn't inconvenience you too much. Please don't take it personally, he's just doin' what I pay 'im to do! Now, then, what brings you here?" Jack asks.

"I want my Stardust Dragon back!" Says Yusei.

"Hmm! And I guess you'll be wanting your runner back, as well." Jack says.

"I don't need it." Says Yusei.

"So, it's just the card? I would've thought you'd moved on by now, since it seems you've gotten over losing your runner already. By the way, how's the new one treatin' ya?" Jack asks.

"I got no complaints. And how's the one ya stole from me? Still running well, I hope?" Asks Yusei.

"You never could let go of anything, could ya, Yusei?" Jack asks.

"I never was one to forgive and forget. Now, where's my card?" Asks Yusei.

"What's the rush, don't you want to catch up on old times?" Jack asks.

Yusei clenches his fist at his side. "I want to know where my Stardust Dragon is!" Says Yusei.

"Oh, you mean this old thing here?" Jack asks. He pulls the card out of his pocket and with a flourish, shows it to Yusei. "Does it still look the same?" Asks Jack.

"How could you, Jack." Yusei says.

"That card was just wastin' away with you in the Satellite. I couldn't bear to watch it sit in the hands of a loser." Says Jack.

Flashback. Stardust Dragon sparkles, with iridescent light, raining shimmering holographic glitter over the streets of the Satellite, hovering above a rider on a white duel runner. Tank, Nervin, Blitz and Rally watch and cheer. "But Jack, how could you take it, when you knew it was the only hope our friends had of getting out of the Satellite? It was meant to help us all!" Yusei says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Well, it certainly helped me when I got to New Domino City! And to show my thanks, you can have your precious dragon card back!" Says Jack. He throws it.

Yusei catches the card.

"Here, take it! I sure don't need it anymore!" Jack says.

Yusei looks at the card, past it and then closes his eyes, he can't accept it this way.

"What now, Yusei? Are you having second thoughts?" Asks Jack.

Yusei throws it back. "No, Jack." Yusei says. He gets off of his runner. "I want the card, but I want to make you pay for what you did more. And when I beat you, then I'll take my card back." Says Yusei.

"Hmm. You always were a dreamer. Well, get ready! Because here comes your wake up call!" Jack says. He and Yusei then both stare at each other. Jack with an arrogant look in his eyes and a smirk, while Yusei has a serious and angered look in his eyes, not smiling at all.

The two duelists are soon riding out of a tunnel and onto the highway, surrounded by glimmering buildings. At this late hour, they're the only ones on the road. "When're you going to tell me where we're heading, Jack?" Asks Yusei.

"Stop your worryin', and enjoy the view already! So whaddaya think of New Domino City? It's a little step up from the Satellite, isn't it? But if you get homesick, I'm sure I could find a trash bin for you to play in." Jack says.

It's noticeable that Domino City is more than a little step up from the Satellite. It's all brushed steel, city lights and skyscrapers.

"Are we gonna duel, or are you gonna play 'tour guide' all night?" Asks Yusei.

"Heh, heh. Well since you worked so hard to get here, I figured I'd show you the sights before you get shipped back to the Satellite Sector." Jack says.

"We'll see about that." Says Yusei.

"Yes, we will! Looks like we're here. Welcome to the Kaibadome!" Jack says.

Ahead, the stadium of the pros looms. A security camera is observing their approach.

Meanwhile, in a skyscraper somewhere in New Domino.

"Whoa-ah! So you see?" Professor Zigzix, New Domino City's kooky chief of engineering, is addressing Goodwin, with Skylar standing at his side, as his bodyguard at this point and a messenger to him if there is news to be told to him. Goodwin is seated at the biggest, fanciest desk, and several other suits are seated at the sides of the room.

"See what, Professor? An excuse to get dizzy?!"

"No, an incredible breakthrough! Our spinning generator has gone into, into o… o… overdrive!" Says Zigzix, animatedly. First he rotates his torso, then swings one arm, then the other, around in circles. Then Zigzix spins around on one toe, looking up at Goodwin through his orange-tinted glasses. "Seeee? Just like this, watch the arms, people! Whoa! I know just what you're thinking… is this a big new dance craze or what?! Well, it's no-ot!" Zigzix says. He swings his arms upward on 'cars', punches downward on 'lights' and rotates his whole torso around on 'whoah, turbo-duels!' "As you know, our generator powers cars, lights and who-oah, turbo-duels! It controls the whole city, everything we do!" Says Zigzix.

"Professor, we know all of that. We're just wondering why you called us to this meeting at half-past-midnight. And it had better be important." Goodwin says, tightly, grumpy and tired for sleep. Goodwin has a pale complexion, with long, grey hair, that reaches to his lower back, with one section of it tied into a ponytail, and light grey eyes. He's wearing a dark grey suit and pants, over a collared shirt, that features a condor geoglpyh emblazoned on it. Goodwin appears to be forty.

"Well, yes. Yes it is, Sir." Says Zigzix.

"Then you can stop your dancing and get to the point. Or should I begin looking for a new Director of Engineering?" Goodwin asks.

"Hahaha! Just watch the big screen, Mr. Goodwin." Says Zigzix.

A big holographic screen appears out of the air and shows schematics of his reactor.

"It appears there's more energy being produced by this generator than we ever thought was possible! It's like a perpetual motion machine! The more energy it produces, the more powerful it becomes! And guess what?" Zigzix asks. He starts spinning again. "As long as it keeps spinning round-a-round-a-round, we, Sir, will be the Maste-e-e-e-e-ers of the Unive-e-e-e-e-erse!" Says Zigzix. He clears his throat. "I mean, that you are Master of the Universe, Mr. Goodwin, Sir. That's what I meant of cou…" Zigzix says.

"Pardon the intrusion." Says Minako. She walks over to Skylar and whispers something to her to tell him.

Skylar then turns to Goodwin and walks up to him. "Yes, Skylar?" Goodwin asks. "Apparently, Sir. Mr. Atlas is missing." Says Skylar, whispering behind her hand. "What?! Professor." Goodwin says.

"Ye-e-es?" Asks Zigzix.

Goodwin climbs down from his giant desk, with Skylar directly at his side and Minako not too far behind them. "There's another problem I must intend to, but this is all very intriguing. I want you to find out exactly what this power supply is capable of. And Professor, next time save it 'til the morning." Goodwin says.

"Of course, Sir!" Says Zigzix.

In the hallway. Goodwin walks down the hall, with Skylar at his shoulder and Minako a couple feet behind them. "So what you're saying Minako is that Jack just vanished? I assigned you to be his personal handler, so Skylar wouldn't have to focus so much on him and so she can stay near my side as much as possible. Now if anything unfortunate should happen to him, I'm holding you personally responsible!" Goodwin says.

Lazar is standing alone, in an observation room at the top of some big department, with dozens of lackeys working at computer screens. _"Someday! This will all be…" _Lazar thinks to himself.

"Lazar!" Says Goodwin.

"Ah, my dear Mr. Goodwin. I've been waiting for you." Lazar says. He bows to Goodwin, then notices Minako, as well as Skylar, but he chooses to stay off her bad side since he doesn't want a repeat from the last incident. But Minako is a different exception. "Hm! I see you brought the troublemaker." Says Lazar. Minako turns to him. "Hm!" Minako says. She now sees why Skylar never trusted Lazar or got along with him. "Well, lucky for her, we've found Mr. Atlas. But we're not sure who's with him." Says Lazar. "It's the Satellite duelist, Yusei Fudo." Goodwin says. "But Sir, I thought it was highly illegal to duel against a Satellite duelist." Says Lazar. "That's why what we see here, stays here. I want to see how Jack handles himself on his own. But just in case, keep all guards on standby. And Skylar." Goodwin says. Skylar turns to him. "Sir?" Asks Skylar. "Be ready to retrieve Jack when necessary and when I tell you. Now, go and wait for my orders." Goodwin says. Skylar nods. "Yes, Sir." Says Skylar. She then places one of her hands on Minako's shoulder, who turns to face her. "Are you going to be alright being her with Lazar?" Skylar says. "Yeah, don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Says Minako. "Very well." Skylar says. She then takes her hand off of Minako's shoulder, walks over to the door and stops before leaving.

Skylar looks towards them one last time, the only one who looks her way is Lazar. When he does so, Skylar just glares at Lazar and her eyes quickly glow crimson red and then go back to their normal emerald green color. Skylar then leaves the observation room.

Skylar soon heads to the garage and uncovers her metallic black duel runner. Skylar's duel runner is more futuristic-styled. Although, it's sort of difficult, since it is very uncommon for a woman to ride or even use a duel runner, but girls can certainly ride one there's no rules against that. Only, Skylar's out to make a point, not focus on what gender rules to follow. Skylar climbs onto it and places her matching black helmet on, bringing the visor down. Skylar then revs the engine to life and takes off without being heard.

At the Kaibadome. Jack and Yusei are standing on the track in the dark, empty stadium. "This duel dome's impressive, isn't it? Television just doesn't do it justice. Now imagine it filled with thousands of adoring fans, all of 'em chanting your name and cheerin' you on! But that's something you're never going to experience, Yusei! 'Cause after this duel, the only people cheerin' you on will be your loser friends back in the Satellite. And that's if they don't all turn their backs on you once you return without their Stardust Dragon!" Says Jack. He holds up the card and suddenly some lights come on in the stadium, glinting off of Stardust.

Yusei shields his eyes for a moment, startled.

"I wish I could be there to see their faces when you try explaining to them how you had their card, but got greedy and turned it down in order to duel me! You're gonna regret ever coming here, Yusei!" Jack says. He lowers the arm holding up Stardust and lifts the duel disk on his arm, his expression daring Yusei to stop him. "'Cause I'm gonna beat you with your own card." Says Jack. He adds the Stardust Dragon card to his own deck, slotted into the duel disk.

Goodwin, Lazar and Minako are watching their monitor, silently. The tension in the stadium can be felt even from there. _"This should be interesting." _Goodwin thinks to himself.

At the Kaibadome. Jack plugs his duel disk into his runner and lowers his visor. "Turbo-duel activated." The computer says.

Yusei puts down his visor, left hand on the control toggle, deck ready and foot on the gas.

Jack looks back over his shoulder from the first starting block. "Now then. Try not to get scared, wilya? This course can be really rough on first-timers!" Says Jack. He presses a button below his runner screen. "Duel mode engaged. Autopilot standing by." The computer says.

Both duelists' screens change to display a diagram of the dueling field. The tension ramps up, as waves of power ripple out, broadcast by the two runners and the sky above the Kaibadome turns pink. Both duelists are revving their motors, tense and prepared to take off. Their lifepoints start at 4000 apiece. "Let's ride!" Says Both Jack and Yusei.

Jack is off first.

Yusei close behind, skidding a bit, probably on the unfamiliar track.

"Yusei, I always did enjoy dueling you. We've been battling with these monsters in our decks since we were kids! And this, old friend, is gonna be a trip down memory lane." Jack says.

Yusei draws a card. "Here's to history! I summon Quillbolt Hedgehog in defense mode!" Says Yusei. Quillbolt Hedgehog has 800 attack points, 800 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is an earth type monster.

"Well! Now isn't that a blast from the past!" Jack says.

Both duelists' speed counters increase to 1 at the beginning of his turn.

"As is this! My Mad Archfiend!" Says Jack. Mad Archfiend has 1800 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is a dark type monster. When Mad Archfiend attacks a monster in defense mode, if its attack is greater than the defending monster's defense points, the opponent still takes damage. Jack swerves up onto the bowled edge of the track, pivoting as he does. Jack's driving backwards. "Well, Yusei, this is just like old times, just two hundred miles per hour faster! Now, Mad Archfiend, stick it to that Quillbolt! Things seem to have started the way our last duel ended, with you losing precious lifepoints!" Jack says.

"Uuugh! You'll regret doing that, Jack!" Says Yusei. His speed counter falls back to zero, his lifepoints are at 3000.

"Yusei, the only thing I'm gonna regret is that this duel isn't being broadcast to the millions of fans around the globe who cheer for me night after night! They've earned the right to witness my greatest challenge ever, and my greatest victory! You do realize that you're gonna end up losing this battle tonight, don't you?" Jack asks.

"You just keep talkin', Jack." Says Yusei.

"There's no need for you to be concerned, Mr. Goodwin. This Satellite, he is nothing. I'll have him arrested, and that will put an end to all of this silliness once and for all. And then, we can ship this Yusei off to the Facility where he won't cause any more problems. Just say the word, and my men will stop this." Lazar says. Goodwin isn't listening, his eyes are fixed on the screen.

Both sets of speed counters increase, making Jack's total 2 and Yusei's 1.

"I'm up to speed! Huh!" Says Yusei. He draws. "And now I can summon Junk Synchron to the field in attack mode!" Yusei says.

_"My blender's got more horsepower!" _Jack thinks to himself.

"Remember when I said you'd regret taking out my Quillbolt? Well here's why! See, thanks to my Junk Synchron's special ability, I can bring it back to the field!" Says Yusei.

"Big deal! Yusei, you'll need to do better!" Jack says.

Yusei reacts to this. "And I will!" Says Yusei. Junk Synchron yanks the cord attached to the motor on its back and the motor starts to glow. "I tune my Junk Synchron with my Quillbolt Hedgehog to synchro-summon, Junk Warrior!" Yusei says. Junk Synchron glows brighter and brighter, turns into three shining stars and forms rings in formation around Quillbolt. The little hedgehog starts to radiate light and dissolves into its two stars. The stars and rings form a beam of light, out of which emerges... "Let's rev it up!" Says Yusei. Junk Warrior has 2300 attack points.

"If that's the best you got, you're in trouble!" Jack says.

"I think the only thing in trouble right now is your Mad Archfiend! Junk Warrior! Send 'im to the scrap heap!" Says Yusei. Junk Warrior attacks and destroys Mad Archfiend.

Jack isn't worried, he looks condescendingly pleased that Yusei has finally landed an attack. Jack's lifepoints now stand at 3500. "Hmm. It's my turn now." Jack says. He draws a trap and he has an idea. "Hm. I summon Twin-Shield Defender in defense mode!" Says Jack. Twin-Shield Defender has1600 defense points. "Plus I'll throw down a li'l face down for later." Jack says.

_"Mm. I don't like this at all, it's not like Jack to toy around. He usually cuts right to the chase. What're you planning?"_ Yusei thinks to himself.

"You thinkin' about givin' up already? Ya can if ya like!" Says Jack.

A glimpse of Yusei's hand. 'Harmonia Mirror', Ghost Gardna, Speed Warrior, 'Counterattack Beacon' and 'Meteor Stream'. "Hah!" Yusei says. He draws. "I summon, Speed Warrior!" Says Yusei. Speed Warrior has 900 attack points. "And now his nine hundred attack points are added to Junk Warrior's! But you know that already, don'tcha, Jack! It's the same combo I used back in the Satellite to get Security off your back! If it weren't for me and my Junk Warrior, you might still be rotting in the Facility!" Yusei says.

"Hm. Whaddayou want, a thank-you? Well you're not gettin' one!" Says Jack.

"Hggh. And now, due to my Speed Warrior's special ability, his attack points are doubled, so say goodbye to your Twin-Shield Defender!" Yusei says.

"And you can say goodbye to half a' your Junk Warrior's attack points now. See, by destroying my Twin-Shield Defender, you activated its special ability! Bet you're glad Sector Security wasn't as prepared as I am when you stepped in to save me!" Says Jack.

"Really? Because you just left yourself wide-open for an attack!" Yusei says. _"Just as long as_ _that card stays face down." _Yusei thinks to himself. "I've been waiting to do this since our last duel, Jack!" Says Yusei.

Jack smiles.

"Junk Warrior, attack him directly!" Yusei says.

Jack drops a speed counter and falls to 1900 lifepoints. "Remember how you said you 'saved' me, Yusei?" Asks Jack.

"Yes?" Yusei asks.

"Well the whole thing was a setup to get me closer to your runner, and that dragon card of yours was an added bonus! As was your sister! By the way, how's she been? Oh, yeah. That's right, you wouldn't know anyway since I took 'er away from you three years ago. Only, I have no idea where she is now or if she's even still living at this point. You failed 'er, Yusei!" Says Jack, trying to get him aggravated and fired up. Although, he would never admit it he would never say anything insulting towards Skylara at all, but Yusei already knows that.

"That is a lie!" Yusei says.

"Wishful thinking, Yusei. See, I knew exactly what your duel runner was capable of. I also knew how vulnerable she would be. So when I saw an opportunity I took it, as well as her!" Says Jack.

_"How could I be so blind?!" _Yusei thinks to himself.

Jack reaches for his face down. "They say the truth will set you free. But in this case, it's gonna cost ya! And by activating my 'Spacegate' trap card, you're never going to get your precious Stardust Dragon back!" Jack says. He activates his face down and its streaming light.

Yusei squints, shielding his eyes.

"Yusei, once this duel is over, I'm sending you back to the Satellite where garbage like you belongs! And with my 'Spacegate' trap card in play, I'm about to kick this duel into overdrive! Ya see, with this card, for every time you attacked me, I get a gate counter!" Says Jack.

Flashback to Yusei's two attacks, first Speed Warrior, then Junk Warrior, makes two. "And thanks to you, I'm already up to two!" Jack says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Jack has two stars orbiting around his runner. "This reminds me of when you helped me in the Satellite. Sure you thought you were doin' the right thing, but in fact all you did was set yourself up for disappointment! Just like now!" Says Jack.

"I guess I don't have any other option but to lay down a face down." Yusei says.

"And now your warriors' attack points return to normal." Says Jack.

"See? It's only a matter of time before Jack wins, Mr. Goodwin." Lazar says. "This duel is still far from over, Sir." Says Minako. "Do you actually think this Satellite has a chance of winning? Because so far this pathetic example of a duelist has done only what Jack has let him do. Hmhmhmhmhmhmhm…" Lazar says. _"Don't underestimate this boy, Jack." _Goodwin thinks to himself.

"Hehahahahaha! Come on, get the lead out, Yusei! I got the need, the need for speed!" Says Jack. He zooms ahead. "You're gonna hafta take off your training wheels if ya wanna keep up with me! Hahahahah!" Jack says. He is now driving backwards, upside-down on the bowl of the track. "At least this way I can see you!" Says Jack.

"Just make your move already!" Yusei says.

"Eager for me to end this, are you? Well don't think it's going to be as quick as I drive. 'Cause I plan on takin' my time pickin' you apart! And when I'm through with you, you're gonna wish you never left the Satellite! It's my turn!" Says Jack. He turns around and comes down to right-side-up. "I play my 'Speed Fusion' speed spell! Now since I have four speed counters, I can activate its ability and fusion-summon a monster that will have you quakin' in your seat! Here comes a recipe for disaster, take one part Big Piece Golem, add a touch of Medium Piece Golem, mix well, and you get… Multiple Piece Golem!" Jack says. Big Piece Golem has 2100 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 5 monster and is an earth type monster. Medium Piece Golem has 1600 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is an earth type monster. Multiple Piece Golem has 2600 attack points.

_"That's not good." _Yusei thinks to himself.

"Golem, send his Speed Warrior in for a permanent pit stop!" Says Jack.

"In that case, I activate my 'Defense Draw' trap card! And with it in play, all the damage you cooked up with your little Golem recipe go sic to zero! And I get to draw a card!" Yusei says.

"Not bad. And here I am, thinking you'd thrown in the towel. I guess there's still fire in you after all. Too bad this next move's gon'to extinguish any hope you had of winning this duel and getting your Stardust Dragon back!" Says Jack. He spins to face backwards. "Haha! Now then, Yusei! This is when things get interestin'! By usin' my Golem's special ability, I can break 'im down to summon out the two fusion monsters that are in my graveyard. It's kinda like recycling, which is something you know all about, living in that dump of a tunnel you call home! And now, I can activate Medium Piece Golem's special ability, which allows me to summon out Small Piece Golem to the field!" Jack says. Small Piece Golem has 1100 attack points.

"That's quite the rock collection." Says Yusei.

"Well, Yusei, you know that I've always believed in the saying 'the more the merrier,' and if you think things are crowded now, wait 'til I summon out this guy… the tuner monster Dark Resonator!" Jack says. Dark Resonator glows and turns into its component three stars. Big Piece Golem rises to join them in the sky, as the three stars circle around and form three rings. "Now I tune Dark Resonator with Big Piece Golem, to synchro-summon my most powerful beast!" Says Jack. Big Piece Golem is outlined in glowing gold, its five stars appear from the outline and align within the three rings, forming a towering column of golden light… "Yusei, this battle's about to move into the fast lane! Now feel the power of my Red Dragon Archfiend!" Jack says. His signature dragon roars, dramatically, looming over the duel.

Red Dragon Archfiend is a level-eight dark-attribute synchro monster. It has three thousand attack points and two thousand defense points.

"That's your most prized possession!" Says Yusei.

"You got that right, and I only use it on special occasions. And I don't think they get any more special than this! I wanted my dragon to defeat you, but then I thought of a more fitting conclusion." Jack says.

Yusei groans.

"So by sending my 'Spacegate' trap card to my graveyard, I can bring a new monster to the field that will make our little trip down memory lane that much more memorable! Say hi to my tuner monster Sinister Sprocket! 'E looks small, but he's got friends, big friends!" Says Jack. Sinister Sprocket extends a cable and wraps around Small Piece Golem and Medium Piece Golem together, turning into a green tuning ring and turning the Golems into stars. From the quick tuning erupts a powerful column of light, icy blue. "Now I tune my Sinister Sprocket with my Small and Medium Piece Golem, to synchro-summon your destruction!" Jack says. The creature in the light extends one large, wrinkly wing, then the other. "He look familiar? 'E should, after all, this is your Stardust Dragon!" Says Jack. With that, the beautiful dragon that was once Yusei's bursts onto the field, glowing like pure moonlight, raining sparkling dust from its wings. It lifts its head, clenches the fists at the end of its draconic arms and roars.

Stardust Dragon is a level-eight wind-attribute synchro monster. It has two thousand five hundred attack points and two thousand defense points.

Yusei looks up at the dragon. "It's been much too long." Yusei says.

"T-two dragons?" Asks Minako. "That is why Mr. Atlas is our champion, Miss. Minako. He would never lose to someone from the Satellite Sector like this Yusei Fudo. If you're not going to say anything useful, you could at least go and get us some nonfat, extra-hot lattes." Lazar says. Minako huffs and looks back at the screen, ignoring him. "Temper, temper." Says Lazar, amused. "Silence, you two. This is just getting interesting. Now let's see if Jack can finish this off." Goodwin says.

Meanwhile, Skylar is riding through the night, trying to get to the Kaibadome as fast as her duel runner can go. Skylar's eyes are still green for the moment. Just then, Skylar's right forearm, abdomen, and upper back start bothering her. The pain burns really bad. Skylar's right forearm glows crimson red through the sleeve, as a wing-shaped symbol appears. A dragon symbol appears on Skylar's abdomen, glowing crimson red through her bodysuit. Skylar then looks back over her shoulder, as her upper back starts glowing crimson red through the back of her bodysuit, as markings begin to appear on her upper back, forming into some sort of symbolic designs. Skylar soon returns to focusing on the road before her. _"No, not this pain now."_ Skylar thinks to herself. Her eyes suddenly glow the same crimson red color and from her deck she pulls out one of her duel cards, as if she was told to. _"Cynder the Black Dragon is going to be useful to me once again. And Jack will soon get what he rightfully deserves." _Skylar thinks to herself. Cynder the Black Dragon has 2900 attack points, 2000 defense points, is a level 8 monster and is a dark type monster.

"Hm. Hmhm. Hahahahahahah! You wanted Stardust Dragon so bad, well here he is! It's just like they always say, be careful what you wish for! Huhuhuhuhahahaha, hahahahahahahaha!" Says Jack. He laughs, in amusement.


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: A Blast From The Past: Part 2_

Jack and Yusei are riding on, around the empty track of the Kaibadome stadium. Yusei's Junk Warrior floats at his side, but both look small compared to the two giant dragons hovering over Jack, both ready to pounce on him, as he follows behind.

"When I offered to give you back your precious Stardust Dragon, you should've just taken it and run back home to the Satellite. But no! You just had to prove that you could hold your own with the Master of Faster!" Jack says.

"I'm gonna do more than hold my own, Jack. It's my turn! I summon Shield Warrior to the field in defense mode!" Says Yusei. As he draws his card, there is a glimpse of his hand. 'Counterattack Beacon', 'Meteor Stream', Sonic Chick, 'Harmonia Mirror' and Shield Warrior. Shield Warrior has 800 attack points, 1600 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is an earth type monster. "And next, I'll also switch my Junk Warrior into defense mode! With that done, I'm placing one card face down. It's your move, old buddy." Yusei says.

Jack's riding backwards again. "Leaving both monsters in defense mode? You gotta get aggressive if you wanna win. But then again, I shouldn't be surprised. You never were much of a fighter!" Says Jack, gloating. He suddenly rides back past Yusei.

They meet eyes over their shoulders, Jack taunting and Yusei angry. It's on.

Meanwhile, Goodwin, Minako and Lazar are watching the duel on a monitor. "We must end this charade. If the paparazzi find Jack dueling some Satellite, his reputation will be ruined." Lazar says. Goodwin isn't listening, his eyes are fixed on the screen.

Yusei and Jack's speed counters each increase to 6.

Jack comes around into the lane behind Yusei, draws his card and places it in the slot beside his duel disk that holds his hand of cards. It's a trap and the only card in his hand. "Haven't you learned, Yusei? You can't just cower and hide and hope to survive. And here's proof! Red Dragon Archfiend can wipe out all your monsters in defense mode! So say goodbye to your little friend! Go, Absolute Power Force! Hehehaha! Seriously, Yusei, didn't you learn anything back in the schoolyard, when those mean, mean bullies would come around and threaten you and your little auto-shop pals for your lunch money? What did not fighting back ever get you? A black eye and an empty stomach, that's what!" Says Jack.

Yusei rides on, all but cowering under the two dragons at his back.

Jack seems angry, frustrated at Yusei for giving less than his very best. "Didn't you sneak out of the Satellite to get even with me? I mean, if you came here to throw down or whatever, why are you acting like that scared kid from the playground?" Jack asks.

_"It's called strategy."_ Yusei thinks to himself.

"Well now that you've got no monsters on your field, Stardust Dragon can swoop right in and attack you directly. Hope this doesn't hurt too much!" Says Jack.

"Sure ya don't." Yusei says, under his breath, sarcastically.

Stardust rears back and attacks, shrouding him in sparkling, white, misty fire. It's like riding through a heavy, painful blizzard. "Ugggh!" Yusei loses two speed counters, leaving him with 4 speed counters and 500 lifepoints. Yusei weaves, dangerously, before speeding ahead once more off toward the curve at the other end of the track.

"So the monster that used to be yours, the one you came here to get back from me, is now the one taking you down! I'm sure if you ever thought that this would have happened, you never would've crawled out of that dump you call home!" Says Jack.

"Mr. Atlas is fabulous. He's controlling both of those dragons with incredible skill." Minako says. "Well what else did you expect from the best?" Asks Lazar. Goodwin is watching the screen, intently. _"If what I hope happens,_ _a whole lot more." _Goodwin thinks to himself.

"What're you waiting for, Yusei? You do know it's your turn, right? How come you haven't made a move in two laps? Thinkin' of givin' up?" Jack asks.

Yusei draws. "Not a chance! I summon Sonic Chick in defense mode!" Says Yusei. Another glimpse of his hand, 'Counterattack Beacon', 'Meteor Stream', Sonic Chick and Ghost Gardna. Sonic Chick has 300 attack points, 300 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is an earth type monster.

When Sonic Chick battles an opponent's monster that has nineteen-hundred or more attack points, it cannot be destroyed.

"Just like back at school! You waste all your time hangin' out with chickens!" Jack says.

"Well at least I know this chicken isn't going to double-cross her best friend, scurry away in the middle of the night and then take an innocent girl out of her own free will! In fact, this chicken's stickin' around for the long haul! Now I place a card face down! You're up!" Says Yusei.

"Hm." Jack says. He speeds up, closing the distance between them and comes up behind Yusei. "Let me ask you something, Yusei. How d'you think this duel of ours is gonna end? Let's kid ourselves and say that you actually have a chance at out dueling me. And let's say you somehow manage to win. Then what're you gonna do? You haven't really thought this little revenge fantasy through, have you? Well let me tell you what is gonna happen! You're gonna lose this duel, and then I'm gonna press a little button on my runner, at which point an entire Security team will arrest you and ship you off to the Facility! So much for revenge! And speakin' a' you losing, Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Sonic Chick! Too bad, buddy. Your little chickadee's ability will get trumped by the power of my Red Dragon Archfiend! Remember, it can wipe the field clean of any monsters you have in defense mode! I told you, Yusei, you gotta get aggressive, like this!" Says Jack.

Sonic Chick is attacked, but stays.

"Hmmmph." Jack says.

"What just happened?! That chicken was supposed to get fried!" Says Lazar.

"Always thinkin', aren'tcha, Yusei?" Jack asks.

"It's what I do best! I'm just surprised you didn't remember this classic from back when we dueled for fun!" Says Yusei.

"Oh, yeah! Your 'Remote Revenge' trap card! I forgot you 'ad that!" Jack says.

"It seems there's a lot you forgot about, Jack. So here's a little refresher course on what this trap can do! First, it deflects your attack. But that deflection's just the beginning. Once it does that, it destroys every monster on your field in attack mode! And aren't both your dragons in attack mode? So how's that for getting aggressive?!" Asks Yusei. A dome of fire appears around Sonic Chick and fires itself at the dragons.

"You have a thing with revenge, don't you? Too bad for you, just like your attempt to get revenge on me, this attack is gonna fail miserably! 'Cause Stardust Dragon's takin' one for the team!" Jack says. Stardust flies in front of the blast, presenting its body as a shield.

Yusei watches over his shoulder, teeth clenched.

The fire reflects onto both duelists' faces.

"That's one a' Stardust Dragon's special abilities. If you activate a card with the power to destroy all my monsters, Stardust Dragon can save all the others by sacrificing itself. 'Ow's it feel knowing you destroyed your favorite beast!" Says Jack. Stardust Dragon roars and evaporates into golden dust, slowly. "So much for Stardust Dragon. But I guess he had to go down like that in order for Red Dragon to stay on the field. Hey, does that remind you of another situation, Yusei? Think about it, this is like how I had to step on you in order to escape the Satellite!" Jack says.

Yusei is silent.

"Mr. Atlas appears to be toying with this urchin. I do love his playing style." Says Lazar. Again, Goodwin is riveted on the duel, hardly even blinking.

"Now I place two cards face down. And with that done, I think I'll bring back my Stardust Dragon so you can get another peek at 'im for old times' sake. Now take a long, hard look, Yusei. 'Cause after this duel, you're never gonna see 'im again!" Jack says. Stardust reappears on the field.

Yusei groans, frustrated, as its stats flash across his visor.

"Maybe you'll even get another chance to destroy the very beast you're tryin' to win back from me. You know, Yusei, with friends like you, who needs enemies? And with both dragons back on my field, it looks as though this battle of ours has come full-circle, hasn't it?" Asks Jack.

Yusei's smile is barely visible, small and grim, but it's there. Yusei has a plan. "Actually, not quite, Jack." Yusei says.

"Mmm?" Asks Jack.

"I activate my trap card… 'Harmonia Mirror'!" Yusei says. The trap appears in the form of a beautiful, blonde woman, lounging in midair against a large, oval mirror. Stardust Dragon is reflected in the mirror.

"Huh?!" Asks Jack.

"Check this out, 'cause you just summoned Stardust Dragon to your field, using a method other than the usual synchro-summon, I can use the power of 'Harmonia Mirror' to get Stardust fighting on my side, instead! Welcome back, old friend!" Yusei says. The mirror image starts to glow, as does Stardust. It vanishes from Jack's field.

"That's no biggie. It's like I said earlier, I don't need it. I was merely using it to try and make this duel more interesting." Says Jack.

"Well ya did, Jack! And now, I'm gonna rev things up with my Stardust Dragon!" Yusei says. He raises a hand and Stardust appears above him, soaring through the pinkish stadium air, triumphantly. Stardust Dragon has 2500 attack points.

"Not bad, Yusei. Maybe you have learned a thing or two since our days together in the Satellite. So now we've got Red Dragon Archfiend versus Stardust Dragon, in a fight to the finish!" Says Jack.

Above their heads, the two dragons square off, roaring, nose-to-nose.

"Looks like we finally get a chance to see whose dragon is mightier, Yusei." Jack says.

"And you'll finally get the chance to see the duelist that I've become! Remember that talk you gave after you beat me in our last duel?" Asks Yusei.

Flashback. "Did he just lose?!" Rally asks.

"He did, and do you know why our friend just lost? Because his deck has no balance. And without balance, one cannot be a complete duelist. But you know that already, don't you, Yusei?" Asks Jack. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Well, I didn't want to admit it, but you were right that day. Those words hurt, but they taught me a valuable lesson." Yusei says.

"Oh, really, Yusei? And what did they teach you?" Asks Jack.

"That in order to be the best I can be, I have to believe in the power of every card in my deck! And ever since that day, I've thought about that duel we had over and over again, trying to implement new strategies and combinations that I would have never thought possible!" Yusei says.

"Well, Yusei, actions speak louder than words. So let's just see what that deck of yours is capable of!" Says Jack.

"You got it, Jack! And with Stardust Dragon on my field, the sky's the limit!" Yusei says.

Stardust roars at Archfiend, while Jack's dragon roars back.

"This Satellite doesn't know when to quit, does he? Well, perhaps, I should send in the security team to end it for him, Mr. Good…" Says Lazar. Goodwin waves him aside. "Hmmm." Lazar says.

"Hmhmhmhmhmhm, huhuhuhuhuh, hahahahahahahahaha! Let me get this straight! Now that you've got Stardust on your side, you actually think you have a chance at beating me?! Well you don't. I'm the best. You'll never defeat me, no matter how many Stardust Dragons you have on your field, got that? Now bring it on!" Says Jack.

They race around another bend in the track.

"I've got the green light!" Yusei says. He draws and looks. Yusei's card, 'Silver Contrails', depicts a young man looking hopefully up at a trio of planes leaving smoke trails in a bright blue sky. Yusei looks over at Jack, defiantly, then makes his move. "And I activate my 'Speed Spell-Silver Contrails'!" Says Yusei.

'Silver Contrails' is a speed spell that gives one wind-attribute monster on your field one-thousand additional attack points.

"Now because Stardust Dragon is a wind-attribute monster, he gets a power boost!" Yusei says. Stardust's attack points are now 3500. "It's time our beasts tussled! Stardust, ice his Red Dragon Archfiend! Go, Cosmic Flare!" Says Yusei. Stardust, glimmering with light, launches an attack at Archfiend.

As it lands, both duelists feel a strange pulse of energy. "Ugh!" Both Jack and Yusei say.

"What's going on?! Why is my arm hurting? What is this?!" Asks Yusei.

Somewhere in Domino City, the power generator is swirling multicolored light, crackling electricity around the edges. Its towering foundations even have big bolts of electricity sizzling across them. Professor Zigzix and a group of other men in lab coats watch the fireworks through a thick glass observation window. Zigzix looks at the instruments on the console in front of him and then up at the unbelievable phenomenon. "Oh! Oh! Amazing! Incredible! Fantastic! Ohahahoh...!" Zigzix says, frantically.

Archfiend shrugs off Stardust's attack, with a triumphant roar.

"Ugh!" Says Yusei.

"Sorry, Yusei. Better luck next time." Jack says.

Yusei's other monster on the field, Sonic Chick, is suddenly destroyed. "What happened to Sonic Chick?!" Asks Yusei.

"My 'Synchro Deflector' trap card happened. With this trap card, I can reflect an attack against a synchro monster, and then use the energy to vaporize the monster on your field with the fewest attack points! And now that you've attacked, the effect of your 'Silver Contrails' speed spell wears off, which means your Stardust Dragon loses its precious power boost!" Jack says.

Stardust's stats appear on Yusei's visor, it's back to 2500 attack points. "But it's still my turn, Jack, and I'm far from done! So next, from my hand I summon Ghost Gardna in defense mode!" Says Yusei. Ghost Gardna has 1900 defense points.

"Tryin' to protect your li'l dragon, are ya?" Jack asks.

"I place two cards face down. Your move, Jack!" Says Yusei. His right arm twinges again and he glances at it. "Ugh!" Yusei says, nervously.

A light flashes on the phone sitting on a table. "Incoming call, Sir." Says Minako. "Put it on speaker." Goodwin says. Minako presses the flashing button. A holoscreen of Zigzix appears next to Goodwin. "You might want to find a large solid object. And then duck behind it!" Says Zigzix, via-phone. "What are you talking about?" Goodwin asks. "The major power surge. It's out of control! If it keeps up, things are going to get crraazyyy!" Says Zigzix, via-phone. "Hmm." Goodwin says. His eyes narrow. Goodwin makes a decision, ruthlessly. "Record all your findings." Says Goodwin. Zigzix bows. "Mmm. As you wish, Sir." Zigzix says, via-phone. The call ends. Goodwin's attention returns to the duel on the screen, intently. "Hmm." Says Goodwin.

"Time to end this, Yusei." Jack says. He draws. Jack's right arm twinges again, as he raises the card he drew, and he growls under his breath. "Hmmm. I think Red Dragon Archfiend wants to attack Stardust Dragon. Let's go! Red Dragon Archfiend, tear that Stardust Dragon apart! Go, Scorching Crimson Flare!" Says Jack.

As the attack approaches Stardust, Ghost Gardna floats in front of it, shielding him.

"'Ey, Ghost Gardna! Down in front!" Jack says.

"Ghost Gardna's special ability allows it to draw your monster's attention, and become the target of your attack! So Red Dragon Archfiend won't be attacking Stardust this time around! And after it gets destroyed…" Says Yusei.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I've watched you use Ghost Gardna plenty of times back in the Satellite." Jack says. Whitish power winds around Archfiend, restraining and weakening him. It now has 2000 attack points. "And this is the part where you tell me how, when Ghost Gardna gets destroyed, it can lower the attack points of one of its opponent's monsters by one thousand until the end of the turn. Did you seriously think I didn't know that was coming?" Asks Jack.

"Well did you know this was coming? I activate a trap card… 'Counterattack Beacon'! And it activates when one of your monsters attacks one a' mine, and manages to destroy it in battle! Once this trap card activates, it not only gives one a' my monsters five hundred more attack points, it forces that same monster to attack, even though it's not my turn!" Yusei says. Stardust's new attack points is 3000.

"Very interesting. So now Stardust has more attack points than my dragon!" Says Jack.

"That's right, Jack. Can ya see where this is going? Stardust Dragon, attaaargh… Attack!" Yusei says.

As he gave his attack command, both duelists' arms reacted again.

"Not bad, Yusei. But 'not bad' is not good enough, not when I've got the 'Prideful Roar' trap card! For the low cost of one thousand lifepoints, I can give Red Dragon Archfiend thirteen-hundred more attack points!" Says Jack. His lifepoints are down to 900, while Archfiend's attack points are now 3300. It glows in shimmering red.

"Oh, dear me! This is a risky strategy, even for someone like Jack Atlas! He's either very confident or very foolish, or maybe a little bit of both, but either way, this could end up embarrassing him." Lazar says.

"It's showtime!" Says Jack.

Archfiend looses a blast of fire, Stardust reciprocates with a stream of white light. The two blasts meet halfway, raging against each other to strike.

Yusei and Jack cry out, as both of their arms suddenly burn.

The ball of crackling energy where Stardust and Archfiend's blasts meet is growing bigger and bigger.

The generator is going nuts. Huge clumps of electricity crack in the air around the central column. Zigzix is at a loss for what to do. "Ohahugaghaoh!" Zigzix says, frantically.

The ball of energy gets bigger and bigger, explodes outward and forces the warring dragons apart. From the bright light appears streams of potent crimson red.

"What's going on?! That attack should've destroyed Stardust Dragon! Red Dragon Archfiend has more attack points! It's more powerful!" Says Jack.

Face up on Yusei's field is…

"Shield Warrior?! You can't play that card! I sent that to your graveyard!" Jack says.

"Which is just where its special ability can activate! All I gotta do is remove it from play, and then I can use its power to save a monster from being destroyed! But don't worry, Jack. Your dragon's attack still hits me for three hundred lifepoints." Says Yusei. He's down to 200. "And I'm pretty sure 'Prideful Roar's' effect wears off after an attack! So Red Dragon Archfiend is back to its original power level." Yusei says.

In the sky above, Stardust and Archfiend are floating amid tendrils of white-glowing red energy. The tendrils seem to be flowing toward a single point.

"I can still finish you, with a speed spe… oh! Ugh!" Says Jack. _"Not again!"_ Jack thinks to himself.

"Ough! What's with this pain in my arm?! What keeps causing it?! Oh!" Yusei says. His arm is glowing crimson red through the glove. "What the…? Why is my arm glowing?!" Asks Yusei.

Jack's arm is also shining, inexplicably. "'Ey, Yusei! You doin' this?!" Jack asks.

What the guys don't know is someone amongst the shadows is there. Skylar has finally reached the duel dome, but she's been sitting there on her runner for sometime now. Skylar's arm, abdomen and upper back are still bothering her and glowing crimson red, just like theirs both are. Only, their eyes aren't glowing crimson red like Skylar's. _"It's time to know how it feels, Jack. The time is growing near for you to accept your fate and get what you rightfully deserve." _Skylar thinks to herself. She then looks down at her card again, with her glowing crimson red eyes.

The generator is still well on its way to becoming its own full-blown electrical storm. The scientists are freaking out! "Hey, professor! The reactor has reached its max! This place is gonna blow!" "Ohahugaghaoh!" Says Zigzix, frantically.

The Kaibadome, glowing like a violet jewel already due to 'Speed World', seems to be shaking a little. In the sky above the track, the red streams around Stardust and Archfiend form into a thicker stream and from that larger mass, generates an eye, a round orb of light.

"Huh?" Goodwin asks.

Skylar starts to feel more pain every second of the duel, as if something is trying to tear her apart. "I summon you out... Cynder the Black Dragon..." Says Skylar. Cynder soon appears before her. Cynder is a black dragon, with a pointed face, sapphire blue eyes, a long neck, perhaps slightly longer than Stardust's, a long, lean body, a red underbelly, a long, whip-like tail, with a blade-like tip at the end of it, and blade claws on her wing thumbs, big wings, with red membranes, and six, silver-white horns on her head. She wears two silver bracelets on her two front paws, a silver choker on her neck and another two on her tail. Cynder also has markings on her head, back, shoulders, and around her eyes. "Go forth and attack Red Dragon Archfiend and anything else that gets in your way." Skylar says.

Then as soon as the dragon goes forth to do what it was told, her right forearm, abdomen, and now her entire back start causing her quite a bit of pain, glowing crimson red markings are starting to form on her lower back now, as well, as if adding new additions to the symbolic designs already on her upper back. Skylar is almost completely knocked out, as a red substance appears out of her and resolves into a massive creature and it flies out into the air away from the duel.

"What is that?!" Asks Yusei.

"What kind of trick is this, Yusei? What are you tryin' to pull?! Ah!" Jack says.

The huge, red-glittering, alien-like dragon now hovers, formed, before them, belling a strange cry. Both duelists gasp aloud, as their eyes start glowing crimson red to match the dragon, just like Skylar's do.

And then, right in front of both Yusei and Jack, is a black dragon that seems very familiar to them both.

"No, it can't be." Says Jack, terrified.

"Cynder? But that's impossible, there's only one person I know who has that dragon." Yusei says.

Lazar and Minako gasp, mouths hanging open, in astonishment. Goodwin is smiling. _"__Hah... Incredible."_ Goodwin think to himself.

The red dragon lets out another cry and a strong wind blows, Yusei and Jack weather the force of the sound.

Only Jack has other problems, Cynder is coming close to attacking Red Dragon Archfiend.

Zigzix is on the phone with Goodwin, Lazar and Minako again, and behind him, other lab coats are running back and forth, and the generator is still going haywire. Zigzix, while scared out of his mind, is also very excited. Zigzix spatters the camera with spit and is practically spinning on the spot. "I don't know what I'm looking at! The cool reactor's going crazy! See, space and time are bending in directions I never imagined possible! Atoms are smashing into each other! Quantum particles are colliding in unstable ways!" Says Zigzix, very fast. Goodwin is looking over at the giant crimson red dragon that has just appeared.

Jack and Yusei are riding through a turbulent world of bright light and harsh wind, the walls of the Kaibadome are barely visible around them.

"Whose dragon is that?!" Jack asks. He's talking about the red glowing dragon.

"Uuugghh..." Says Yusei.

"I'll teach you to play tricks with me! I activate a speed spell… 'End of Storm'!" Jack says.

"What're you thinking, we gotta stop!" Says Yusei.

"No way, Yusei!" Jack says.

Just then, Archfiend is attacked by Cynder's long, whip-like tail, along with the blade-like tip at the end of her tail.

Stardust also ends up getting hit with Cynder's tail, too. In the high winds, Stardust roars, but can't be heard. Now all three dragons are going at it.

"Alright, fine… but I think we're gonna regret this! I activate my trap card…" Says Yusei.

He suddenly gets pushed out of the way by Skylar of almost getting hit by Cynder's blade-like, tipped tail.

The card flips and then with another gust of wind, Yusei's runner and Jack are both blown off of the ground.

Above, Stardust, Archfiend and Cynder look small compared to the massive dragon made of rippling sanguine light, crackling with sparks of lightning and raises its head to the sky to wail once more.

The generator crackles more, shines brighter, then, with a flash, is lit only by the multicolored energy swirling around the center and a few static sparks. "Ohah!" Zigzix says, frantically.

The monitor, on which Lazar, Minako and Goodwin were watching the duel cuts out suddenly, as do the lights. The power just blew out. "Who turned out the lights?" Asks Lazar. _"The mighty beast has emerged from its slumber!" _Goodwin thinks to himself.

Every light in New Domino goes out, leaving the once-glittering city in total darkness.

The lights come on in the room Goodwin, Lazar and Minako are in. "Oh. Looks like we've switched to the backup generator." Lazar says. Minako taps at a virtual keyboard, briefly. "We've lost all visuals, Sir." Says Minako. _"I've seen all I need to see." _Goodwin thinks to himself.

The great dragon flies up, through the outer boundary of 'Speed World' and into the swirling clouds above. It spreads its skeletal wings over the Kaibadome, shining like a star, then vanishes into sparkles, leaving the night clear and peaceful once more, returning into Skylar where it belongs.

Steam pours from each runner's exhaust vents, both have stopped moving. All the lights are out in the stadium and there's dust everywhere. In the middle of the track, the pavement has exploded upward into a mound about as tall as either duelist.

Jack staggers to his feet, holding at his glowing arm, and looks over at Yusei and his runner, sprawled against the bowled edge of the track on the other side of the bump. "What… was that?!" Jack asks.

Yusei, knocked out against a wall of the track, suddenly comes to. "Aaaagh! It burns!" Says Yusei. He looks down at his arm, still glowing through his sleeve. "Huh?!" Yusei asks. He takes off his glove and rolls up his sleeve to reveal a shining red symbol, that resembles the tail of the giant dragon, vaguely. "Where did this come from?!" Asks Yusei.

"So it's not-just-me..." Jack says. "Jack, what's going on?!" Asks Yusei. He stands up and Jack gets a good look at his arm, at the symbol. "Do you know what this is, Jack?" Yusei asks. Jack is silent, uncertain what to do. "...You do, don't you." Says Yusei. The two duelists stand there, neither speaking, their enmity momentarily forgotten in the face of mutual confusion.

Goodwin is back on the phone with Zigzix. "First, the energy was all over the place! It broke all the counters. Then the generator went ballistic on itself, and now it seems the particle rotator has stopped rotating, which means, well, it means it's broken." Zigzix says, via-phone. "Just do whatever you have to do to get power back to the city." Says Goodwin. "Okay." Zigzix says, via-phone. The call ends. "What about Mr. Atlas?" Asks Minako. Goodwin turns to Lazar. Lazar bows. "I better contact Skylar and see where she is." Minako says.

Yusei is still holding his brightly-glowing arm, standing opposite of Jack in the dusty stadium. Neither has even bothered to take off his helmet. "Jack... say somethin', man. What's going on?" Asks Yusei.

"Skylar, come in. Are you there?" Minako asks, via-radio, through Skylar's helmet. Skylar gets herself up a little bit, holding a button on her helmet. Skylar's eyes are starting to fade back to green. Skylar's symbols are starting to fade away, as well, only the new markings that appeared on her lower back don't solidify and vanish, as if they never appeared in the first place. "What is it, Minako?" Asks Skylar, weakly. "Where are you? Jack's duel is probably still in progress." Minako says, via-radio. "No, Jack's duel is over. Only, I'm not to sure who won the duel." Says Skylar, weakly and pained. "Are you alright? You don't sound like yourself. You sound as if your hurt." Minako says, via-radio. "I'm alright, Mi… aaagh." Says Skylar. She finally notices the pain in her right leg. "What is it, Skylar? What's happened?" Minako asks, via-radio. "Nothing. Listen, tell Goodwin everything's alright. I shall talk to you later, Minako." Says Skylar. "Wait, Sky…" Minako says, via-radio. Skylar ends the call from her. When Skylar turns herself over to her side and looks towards where she felt the pain, Yusei's duel runner is on top of her right leg and it's getting crushed underneath.

Yusei suddenly gets the feeling as if something is wrong and needs his help. _"That woman, what happened to her. She saved me, I__'__ll have to repay her one of these days, but I feel as if someone needs me!" _Yusei thinks to himself. He is then approached by a familiar black dragon. Cynder is standing over Yusei and brings her head down towards him. Yusei looks deeply into Cynder's sapphire blue eyes. "Hey, Cynder. I didn't think I'd ever see you again." Says Yusei. He touches Cynder's snout. Cynder is calm unlike before. Jack stands, in astonishment, seeing how Yusei can just touch Cynder like that, as if she was a pet dog or something. Cynder then takes her head away from Yusei and walks away from him, towards his runner.

Cynder stops when she reaches Yusei's runner, bringing her head down near it and looks right at Yusei. Yusei isn't too far from his runner, so he's near Cynder's tail at least. Yusei walks over to where Cynder is and realizes what she is trying to tell him.

Yusei then runs over to his runner and notices the person who had helped him out before. Yusei tries to move the runner off of Skylar's leg, but he can't do it alone. "Jack, please help me. She needs help and probably medical attention." Yusei says.

Jack just stands there, still holding at his arm.

But, the moment Yusei thought all hope was lost, Jack suddenly shows up and helps him move the runner. "Jack." Says Yusei, surprised. "Yusei, hurry and pull 'er leg out from under there. Quickly, I can't hold it up much longer." Jack says. Yusei then gets himself on Skylar's side and moves her leg out from under there. Jack then loses his hold on the runner, but nothing to really worry about. "Hey, miss, are you okay?" Asks Yusei, shaking Skylar's shoulders, gently. "Take your hands off of 'er, Yusei!" Jack says. "What're you talking about, Jack? Do you know her?" Asks Yusei. "Of course I know 'er, she works for the Director." Jack says. Yusei doesn't listen to him and lifts Skylar up, cradling her in his arms. Skylar's markings on her upper back, abdomen and right forearm have all gone dim by now. "She's unconscious, but she seems like she'll be just fine." Says Yusei. "It was your runner that nearly crushed 'er." Jack says. "Knock it off, Jack. She needs medical attention at least." Says Yusei. Cynder suddenly returns to Skylar's deck.

Jack then holds his arms out. "Give 'er to me, Yusei. I'll be sure to see that she gets the medical attention she deserves." Jack says.

"I'm alright... you two." Says Skylar. She's suddenly regained consciousness, gets herself out of Yusei's hold and down to her feet. Just like with Skylar, Jack's symbol has stopped glowing, too. The glowing symbol fades from Yusei's arm, without leaving a trace of its presence.

Suddenly, Yusei is pinned down by high-beam spotlights. "Aaagh!"

Jack and Skylar can't even be seen by him anymore.

Beyond the lights, Security officers can just barely be seen. There are a lot of them. "You are in violation of code thirty-six-B, which states that no residents of Satellite may enter New Domino City. By order of the Social Maintenance Department, we are placing you under arrest. Do not try to run, we have you surrounded."

Yusei darts a look over at Jack, who's standing motionless in the bright lights, his old friend won't lift a hand to save him. Ever since Yusei put his hands on Skylar, she's been able to remember everything from her Satellite past, remembering what Yusei is to her, her younger twin brother. Skylar is suddenly about to collapse, until someone catches her. When Skylar looks, Jack is the one holding her up. "Skylar, are you okay?" Jack asks. Skylar has lost consciousness.

Jack suddenly picks Skylar up and cradles her in his arms, which seems quite out of character for him. Jack then turns away and walks off into the night, taking Skylar with him.

_"Oh, man, I got no escape! But even if I did manage to get away, I still don't know what that thing on my arm was!" _Yusei thinks to himself. He is indeed surrounded, about twenty officers have formed a U around him, each pointing his flashlight, searchlight, or headlight. Yusei's been caught, there is nowhere to run.


	7. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6: The Facility: Part 1**_

In a skyscraper somewhere in New Domino City.

"Who's next?"

The only light in the courtroom is a harsh spotlight on the criminal in question, sitting slumped over on a wooden chair before the massive, towering seat of the judge.

"Yusei Fudo? Look at him! He's a boy! What's so bad about this kid?" This isn't his first such case, possibly not even his twentieth. The harsh lighting prevents from seeing his face, but he seems to be gray-haired and balding, wearing a plain black or gray suit and a white shirt. "Let's check out the complaint. Mr. Yusei Fudo... Turbo-dueling without a license. Blah, blah, malicious mischief, blah-dee-blah blah... entering the limits of New Domino City without a permit! Hmmm." From his tone, this is a serious offense. He needs no more convincing that Yusei is no innocent kid. "Well, now, we can't have that, can we! So here's a little tracking dye."

A machine lasers a design onto Yusei's face, holding his head still with a metal helmet, while two officials look on. "Is it supposed to tickle?" Yusei asks, calmly, with just a hint of his characteristic taunt for authority.

"It's supposed to make sure that we can keep an eye on you."

Both the machine and helmet retract towards the ceiling.

"Now, to discuss punishment."

As the machine retracts, the new yellow mark on Yusei's cheek glows light blue. It's a line that starts at the bottom of Yusei's left eye, running downward, then left to his jaw and a small triangle next to the line. As the mark glows, Yusei grunts with pain, feeling as though everything is slipping away.

Next thing he knows, Yusei is boarding a van to the Facility, with several other prisoners, in a large parking garage. This van has a spray-painted 60 on its roof and the other numbered van Yusei sees is 75. The other vans in the garage, six more, are too distant to read. "I believe a few months in the Facility should do it." "All aboard!"

Two Security guards hold the doors to the van. Ten glum-faced passengers boarding so far, including Yusei, who takes a seat on the left-side bench, quietly. The guy next to Yusei is staring at the ground, disconsolately, while the next guy over is scowling, as he watches the rest of the passengers board. Yusei also glances at the door and then glares at the floor, bitterly. "Not to worry, young man. Think of it as a sort of summer camp. Lots of time to yourself..."

A kooky old man, in wooden sandals, with gray socks, a gray-green wraparound robe and a long, yellow vest, boards and looks for a seat, snatching the available one next to Yusei. Grinning wide enough to show a golden tooth, he's the only person in the van who's not depressed and miserable. "...Arts and crafts, colorful characters…" The old man is the epitome of a 'colorful character'. "Hi!"

The van soon drives out of the garage and onto the street. "After your sentence… ahem, I mean, vacation is over, you're free to go back to the Satellite..." Some of the other passengers are looking around or out the windows. Yusei is frowning at the floor, recalling the judge's words to him, bitterly … "As long as you never duel or set foot in New Domino City again!" "Hey, kid!" "Hm?" Asks Yusei. He notices the old man and turns away, not in the mood to talk. The old man leans over to look over Yusei's far shoulder, disgustingly cheerful. "Howya doin'?" Yusei looks back the other way and the old man sits down again. "I'm sure ya heard of me, young fella! Name's Yanagi! Adventure's my name and famous relics are my game! Put 'er there!" Yusei, still trying to avoid talking to anyone, is now looking over his shoulder out the window. "Guess you're not into shaking hands. Well that's all right. Wait a second, I never forget a face… you were at the Kaibadome! I saw Sector Security take you away!" Yanagi says.

Flashback. Alarmed citizens look around, as every light in every skyscraper on the street goes out, building by building. The only building still lit is the Kaibadome, glowing like a supernatural ruby. "So was it you who made all the power in the City go out? And that monster… did you cause that red dragon to appear as well?" Asks Yanagi, in voice-over. Yanagi is standing outside the Kaibadome, crying out, in terror, as a beam of red light shoots into the air from the stadium, into the swirling clouds above. In an eye blink, the Crimson Dragon appears in its place, warbles its birdlike cry and then spreads its wings, shining like a beacon. "'Cause if ya did..." Yanagi says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "…Not bad! I mean that was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Says Yanagi. "You saw that?" Yusei asks. "Did I see it? The whole city saw that dragon! Please, tell me where ya got it! East India, the South American pyramids, lost caves?!" Asks Yanagi. "Hm?" Yusei asks.

Meanwhile. In his plush apartment in New Domino, Jack is tossing and turning in bed.

Jack's dreams are full of the Crimson Dragon and its strange cry. Jack falls off of his runner and the dragon just stares at him, as if waiting for a command to attack. The dragon soon comes to being calm and then standing on its head is a person. The dragon brings its head down so the person can step off and stand on the ground.

"Who are you? Do you control this beast?" Asks Jack.

The person is soon revealed as being a woman. Her outfit consists of a long-sleeved, black leotard, a black cloak and black, thigh-length, high-heeled boots. The cloak has a hood attached, so she has that covering her head and it shadows the upper half of her face, making her eyes the only thing visible. A wing-shaped sign suddenly appears on her right forearm, glowing crimson red through her sleeve, and then over her abdomen, a dragon symbol appears, glowing crimson red through her leotard. Then all of a sudden, she has symbols and markings all over her body, glowing crimson red. Her eyes even start glowing crimson red, as well. She then collapses to her knees, struggling to keep herself up.

Jack runs to her to try and get questions. "What does this mark mean? Why does Yusei have one? And who are you?" Jack asks. He then removes her hood to reveal that she is someone he knows. "No, how is this possible?" Asks Jack.

She is revealed as Skylara, who is either severely weakened or fatally wounded. "Skylara, please just stay with me." Jack says. "I'm sorry, Jack. However, it is already too late!" Says Skylara, her voice menacing and echoic. Skylara then pushes herself off of Jack's chest and out of his grip. "What do you mean it's too late?" Jack asks. "It has already been decided and has already begun. There is no stopping what is meant to be." Says Skylara. Her long, wavy, raven black hair is blowing in some sort of wind. "What has been decided? What has already begun and meant to be that is unstoppable, Skylara?!" Jack asks. Skylara then turns to face him. "Your fate!" Says Skylara. Her eyes then glow a brighter crimson red.

The dragon suddenly grabs Skylara with one of its hands, it has its hand wrapped around her waist. Skylara tries to get herself out of the dragons grip.

"'Ey, let 'er go you big beast!" Jack says. The dragon knocks him back down to the ground with its tail.

The dragon then brings Skylara to the ground, safely, and releases her.

"This dragon isn't trying to hurt you. It's trying to protect you or save you one of the two." Says Jack. "You're correct, Jack. It is trying to save me. However, it is also trying to protect me." Skylara says. "Then why was it trying to attack me? You know that I would never do anything to hurt you." Says Jack. Skylara laughs, slightly. "It wasn't trying to attack you, Jack. It was testing you." Skylara says. "Testing me for what?" Asks Jack. Before Skylara can give him an answer, the dragon suddenly attacks him, out of no where.

Jack awakens and sits up, with a yell. Jack looks down at the Sign visible on his arm. _"Wha?! My arm! Why does it hurt so much?!" _Jack thinks to himself. "I can't… remember..." Jack says.

He soon goes downstairs, wearing a sleeveless, black shirt, grey jeans and white boots.

Minako is arranging some red flowers in a vase. "Minako, what happened to me last night?" Asks Jack. "What do you mean, Mr. Atlas? Are you saying that you don't remember? You were at the Kaibadome! You had a duel with a Satellite named Yusei. It was amazing… you had him on the ropes, then he countered, then you countered, and then the power outage saved you from losing!" Minako says. "Saved me from what?! That's impossible, I had 'im right where I wanted 'im!" Says Jack. "Uh, um… of course you did… please don't be angry, Mr. Atlas…" Minako says. "Right..." Says Jack. "Uh, wait! Where are you headed off to?!" Minako asks.

Jack pushes open both halves of the door and strides out, ignoring her.

"Mr. Goodwin told me you should be resting!" Says Minako, calling out after him from the doorway.

Meanwhile. Goodwin, Lazar and Zigzix are analyzing the monitor footage from the previous night's duel, in a room somewhere near the top of the same building at the bottom of which Yusei was tried in court. "You see, when Jack and Yusei's dragons attacked each other, there was a huge burst of the ultimate energy I was talking about. I call it 'Ener-D' Get it? It rhymes with energy, and the 'D' is for dueling. So you get the, um…" Zigzix says. He clears his throat. "I-idea." Says Zigzix. Footage from the previous night's duel is showing on a circular holographic screen. Around it, several smaller screens show readouts and graphs. Goodwin is sitting at the table, with his chin on his hands, apparently troubled. "Whatever we call it, Zigzix, this power flux was apparently strong enough to awaken the ancient and mystical powers of the Crimson Dragon! Hahahahahahaha!" Lazar says. "The crimson dragon?! Aaah!" Says Zigzix, in a breathy scream. He practically throws himself at Goodwin's desk, panicked. Even Lazar looks startled. "But its power is immeasurable! We have no idea what would happen should all of its powers be unleashed! Earthquakes, tornadoes, cataclysmic catastrophe, complete generator meltdowwwwwwn!" Zigzix says. He spins like a top and stops when the screen goes blank. "Ugh!" Says Zigzix. "We lost the signal right here. The dragon overloaded the power grid." Lazar says. "Excellent. So it seems the power created by its summoning is greater than we ever imagined." Says Goodwin. He appears to be deep in thought. Lazar chuckles.

The Facility is a building within a building, around the prison complex itself is a sort of parking garage. The central building is several stories tall, with shorter wings built off of it, like spokes on a wheel. Directly above the central building, a giant skylight in the parking garage building, open to the sky, lights the space below. The wall around the complex features a massive iron door. Every exterior wall is dotted with the small, uniform windows of individual cells.

"Welcome to the Facility, your home away from home! A warm bed, three square meals a day, everything the public miscreant could want!" Several sets of iron doors slide open and the van trundles through. When it stops, Yanagi jumps out of the van and follows Yusei, who's already disembarked. One of the guards shoves Yusei. "Hurry up!" As Yusei stumbles from the shove, he passes a point on the wall and a laser shoots out of it. Yusei stops moving, with a groan of pain. Another guard looks at a portable screen, as the laser scans Yusei's mark. "Identification number G2MA2-88. Illegal entry to New Domino City." The computer says. "Ha! Bet you wish you stayed in the Satellite now!"

The new prisoners are soon led into the Facility. The bottom level of the main building is a wide lobby, with walkways crisscrossing it overhead. Each level has a walkway to the cells that open onto this main area. Guards and inmates watch the new prisoners from above. "Now listen up, the rules are simple! No chewing gum, no fighting and no dueling!" The cells on the bottom story of the main area, which they're passing right now, are more like cages. They're full of inmates grasping through the bars, sneering and yelling. "Also, you probably don't want to get too close to these bars. Some of these guys bite!" They walk down a hallway in one of the wings, it's well-lit with fluorescent fixtures, very plain and clinical. Yusei looks straight ahead, calm and steady.

An inmate in one of the cells Yusei walks past catches his eye, this tall, strong guy has blue, spiky hair and a look of contempt on his hard face, as he watches the new guys walk by. Yusei only catches a short glimpse before the vertical shutters that serve the cells as bars obscures him from view.

"Now as long as you stay quiet and follow those directions, you should be safe." He stops walking. "Okay! Here are your new rooms, I hope the water-stained battleship grey is to your liking." He clicks a remote control and the doors to several cells in that area of the hallway swing open.

Yanagi dashes into the cell nearest to Yusei and leaps onto the plain mattress of the left-side bed, kicking off his sandals and huddling on the bed.

Yusei follows, reluctantly.

"Ah! Home sweet home!" Says Yanagi.

"Yanagi's been here a few times before, as you can tell. Personally, I think the foods finally gotten to him." The guard soon makes his way past the door to leave.

As he's walking away down the hall, an inmate reaches a hand through the shutters of his cell to catch his attention. "Hey guard!" "Whadda you want?" "Thought I'd throw a little welcome party for my new neighbors. Ya know, teach 'em the ropes, and make sure they stay in line." "Good luck. New guy looks like trouble!" With a smile, he clicks a remote and the light next to the cell door flashes green.

The tough guy Yusei noticed earlier chuckles, mischievously.

Yanagi is looking out the window, while Yusei stands near the door. "Ah, great to be back. You know, you're so much nicer than my last roommate." Yanagi says.

"What's a guy like you doing here?" Asks Yusei.

Yanagi is clinging to the wall, he'd be about a foot too short to look out the window from the ground. "Me? I collect cards." Yanagi says.

"Everyone does that." Says Yusei.

Yanagi jumps down and walks over to him, who sits down on the unclaimed bed. "Not quite! See mine are illegal magic relics. They're from ancient civilizations!" Yanagi says. "That sounds pretty cool. Wish I could see some." Says Yusei. Yanagi pulls out a couple cards he had stashed in his vest and pulls out some more from under his arms. "Ta-da! Look here! And here! Like I said, I've been stuck here so many times, I learned how to sneak in my entire deck past the guards! And it's a good thing I did!" Yanagi says. "Why? We can't duel." Says Yusei. "You got a lot to learn, sonny. Dueling is the only way to stay safe, and you'll learn that lesson soon enough. But as long as we got these cards, we're set!" Yanagi says. "Okay..." Says Yusei. "Heh heh!" Yanagi giggles.

Jack is striding down a hallway, with Minako fluttering in his wake. Jack's wearing a long, white tench coat, lined with purple and spiked shoulders, similar to the design of his turbo-dueling suit, over a white, plunging shirt, and his usual grey pants and white boots. Jack's also wearing a neckband and a belt buckle, along with his usual earrings. "Wait, the Director's in a meeting! Uh, he can't be disturbed!" Minako says.

Zigzix is pulling one of the holographic screens over to him through the air and points to it. "Look at this! The energy increased when these three dragons were out! But, it only went into overdrive when all three attacked each other!" Says Zigzix, excitedly. "Very interesting! We must find out why these three beasts were able to awaken the Crimson Dragon." Lazar says. Goodwin is still deep in thought. "Hmmm." Says Goodwin.

The door suddenly opens.

"Hmph?" Goodwin asks.

Jack strides in, with Minako behind him. "Uh... I'm sorry, Director." Says Minako.

"Jack..." Goodwin says.

Jack sees the screen and gasps. "That's my duel!" Says Jack. He then points to Lazar and Zigzix. "Did these two peons record what happened last night?! Are you the reason why Skylar got involved in my duel, Goodwin?!" Jack asks, furiously.

Goodwin stands up and walks around the desk. "Calm down, Jack. You broke a dozen laws last night. You're lucky that your little match didn't end up on the news. Not to mention, that your recklessness put Skylar in the infirmary. It's our job to protect you, Jack, so we need to know what happened! So then, please help all of us help you. Tell us about the Crimson Dragon." Says Goodwin, soothingly. "Sure, like what, Goodwin? I know! How 'bout this! Ugh!" Jack says, at first surprised and then back to furious. He rolls up his sleeve. "This started to burn!" Says Jack. Goodwin bows his head at the sight of the Sign. "You should be proud! It's the Crimson Dragon's mark, it's a symbol of power!" Goodwin says.

Lazar, Zigzix and Minako snap to, following his lead and bowing to Jack.

"You are one of the rare few known as a Signer!" Says Goodwin. "So what?" Jack asks. "This Sign indicates that you are destined for great things!" Says Goodwin. "Yeah? Well I already knew I was destined for greatness! So tell me, why did Yusei have one as well?!" Jack asks. "What was that?! That Satellite had the Sign as well?" Asks Goodwin. "Didn't your cameras pick it up?" Jack asks. "Jack, Signs mean far more than you know. You have to be sure that Yusei had one!" Says Goodwin. "So what if he had one?!" Jack asks, defensively.

Flashback, to the sight of a glowing mark on Yusei's arm. "Yusei's not destined for anything but minimum wage!" Says Jack, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Plus, he didn't have one in the Satellite, so it must be a fake! Huh? What was that on the video?! Play it back for me! Before this. There!" Jack says.

Zigzix is operating the controls, haphazardly.

"Come on, come on!" Says Jack. He then points to it. "I want that image enlarged." Jack says.

"Uh, of course!" Says Zigzix.

The image on the screen shows the trap card Yusei activated a split second before the duel ended.

"Ugh! That card! Th-That's 'Meteor Stream'!" Jack says.

"You are correct as usual. And you should be pleased that the power went out. Otherwise, your unbeaten streak would have come to an end. If you don't believe me, see for yourself." Says Lazar.

Another video screen shows the moment before that, when Jack activated his last card. "I activate a speed spell! 'End of Storm'!" Jack says, via-video.

"Don't look so depressed, Jack. I guess your friend Yusei learned some new tricks. You probably thought your combo would give you back Stardust, but you opened the door for a counterattack. It's an easy mistake." Says Lazar.

"A mistake?! You had better watch what you say in front of me, you miserable, purple-haired little freak!" Jack says.

"I only speak the truth." Says Lazar.

"I knew what I was doing all along! How many times must I tell you?! Yusei's just a loser! I'm the champ, and I'm the one who's gone undefeated in New Domino City!" Jack says.

"Then why doesn't our dear champion know what happens, when Yusei's 'Meteor Stream' counters your intended move? You lose the match." Says Lazar. He looks downright gleeful at how upset Jack is getting.

"I still had nine hundred lifepoints after my combo! And his 'Meteor Stream' was only gonna take away... all of them. There was... nothing I could do! I actually lost to him! Impossible! Rrrgh!" Jack says. He clenches his fists, all but ready to break down. Goodwin puts a hand over one of his fists. "Jack, last night never happened. No one outside this room knows this video exists." Says Goodwin, bracingly. Jack flings his hand aside. "But I know, Goodwin! I know what happened last night, and I'm gonna settle some unfinished business! Where is Yusei?! I have to duel him again!" Jack says. "I'm afraid that's a little tricky right now. Yusei's a Satellite. Therefore, he's been taken to the Facility. And I'm afraid he won't be leaving for quite some time." Says Goodwin.

Meanwhile, in the Facility.

The inmate and his cronies are emerging from their cells, filling the hallway.

The door to Yusei and Yanagi's cell bursts open. "But don't worry, Jack. We hear that he's being made to feel right at home." Goodwin says, in voice-over.

The inmate steps into the cell, a bunch of other thugs at his back.

"I'm going." Says Jack, flatly. "The Facility?! If this is your idea of a joke, I'm not laughing, Jack! Don't throw away all that we've worked for just to prove that you're the best against him. You're Signed, Jack. It is your destiny." Goodwin says. Jack looks back at him, contemptuous, but uncertain.

Jack is heading for the door, when Skylar is suddenly in the doorway in front of him.

Jack finally realizes that Skylar wasn't at Goodwin's side for once during the whole discussion.

It doesn't seem that any of the others in the room noticed Skylar at all either.

Jack is staring into Skylar's emerald green eyes, knowing what happened last night during the duel, remembering Cynder the Black Dragon appearing out of no where and attacking his dragon, but Jack only knows one person who possesses that card.

Skylar is glaring into Jack's purple eyes, still remembering the relation between her and Yusei that she had forgotten about for three years.

"Skylar." Says Minako, surprised. She then runs over to Skylar, sort of coming between her and Jack.

Skylar and Jack don't take their eyes off of each other once, barely blinking. They're not happy with each other one bit after what happened last night. Jack's hands are at his sides for the moment, his fists still clenched, but he knows very well that he can't hurt a woman at all and Skylar knows she can't place a finger on him without Goodwin's consent. Skylar's arms are folded over her chest for now. "Skylar, what are you doing here? I thought you were in the infirmary resting. You were unconscious and really banged up when Jack brought you back her last night." Minako says. Skylar doesn't answer her, still glaring at Jack.

"Skylar, I gave you permission to rest off your injuries." Says Goodwin.

"With all do respect, Sir. I don't need it. I'm well enough to do any assignment you have scheduled for me." Skylar says, addressing Goodwin, but still not taking her eyes off of Jack.

Goodwin walks up, getting between her and Jack, touching Minako's shoulder and reassures her that she can step out from between them. Goodwin then sort of takes Minako's place being between the two, in case something were to occur between them. Goodwin moves his body so now Jack is at his left and Skylar is at his right. "Then Skylar, if you are feeling strong enough and willing to do any assignment that I assign to you. I have a special assignment for you to do…" Says Goodwin. He then leans over towards the side of Skylar, touching her shoulder. "…I need you to go to the Facility and do some investigating there. You must watch over Mr. Yusei Fudo very carefully while you are there. Do you understand?" Goodwin asks, whispering behind his hand. "Yes. I understand my assignment very clearly, Sir." Says Skylar. Goodwin takes his hand off of her shoulder and goes back to how he was standing before, with Jack to his left and her to his right. "Very good. How soon will you be prepared to leave?" Goodwin asks. "As soon as possible, Sir." Says Skylar. "Very well. You may go." Goodwin says. He then walks away from between the two.

Their still very much staring into each others eyes, not really moving an inch.

Jack then walks to Skylar, but moves to the side of her towards the door. "I need a word with you if I may?!" Asks Jack. "Very well, Jack. But make it quick, I have somewhere I need to be." Skylar says. She then follows him out the door.

Skylar closes the door behind them and follows Jack halfway, away from the door so Goodwin and the others can't hear their discussion. Skylar stops walking and then Jack stops not too far in front of her.

"You cost me my duel last night and I want answers. I want to know why you intervened in my duel with Yusei. 'Cause, I know Goodwin only sent you there in case of emergencies if something went wrong, but I think you had other ideas." Says Jack.

"And so what if I did. Even if I wouldn't have intervened, if that's what you call it, you would have lost to Yusei due to his 'Meteor Stream', if I do recall. You said so yourself, your miserable lifepoints would have been lost." Skylar says.

Jack then walks up to her, pointing a finger at her, furiously. Jack's taller than Skylar, since he's 6'0", while she is 5'4", but she doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all. "How long were you standing there in the doorway?" Asks Jack. "Oh, long enough precious destined one. Truth is, whether you like it or not. You are not destined for anything but pathetic failure, Jack." Skylar says. Jack seems as if he's ready to explode after that statement. "Well, let's move onto a different subject. Where did you get that dragon card from?" Asks Jack. "Your going to have to be a little more specific. Because my memory isn't quite what is used to be since your cowardly duel last night." Skylar says, toying with him. "Then allow me to fix your memory!" Says Jack. He then grabs Skylar by the waist and presses her up against a wall, sort of slamming her into it. "Has your memory returned from where you got that dragon card from? Or am I going to have to slam you harder against this wall?" Jack asks, threateningly. "Which dragon, Jack?" Asks Skylar. "Cynder the Black Dragon. The one that seemed to be favoring Yusei and let him pet her in order to find you." Jack says. "That card found me, Jack. Cynder chose me as her duelist. Just like Red Dragon Archfiend chose you and Stardust Dragon chose Yusei. And Jack, you're hurting me." Says Skylar. Jack then releases his hold on her waist and moves his arms on either side of her, his fists clenched on the wall. "You could've told me you had Cynder. So, why don't you just hand 'er over to me." Jack says. "That is not going to happen, Jack. Cynder is my dragon and she is staying with me for good." Says Skylar. Jack takes his left fist from the wall and places it near his side. Then with his right hand, Jack punches it into the wall, right near the side of Skylar's head. Skylar closes her eyes so she wouldn't have to watch.

When Skylar hears Jack's fist hit the wall beside her head, she at least opens one of her emerald green eyes. When Skylar looks, Jack almost has tears in his purple eyes, only they don't go down his cheeks. Skylar can see that Jack is trying to be the tough guy he thinks he is. Jack can't find it in his heart to hurt any woman, no matter how upset he is at that specific woman. Skylar suddenly touches Jack's fist, that's right next to the side of her head. Jack feels the touch of Skylar's gloved hand on his bare fist, feeling her hand shaking a little bit as if a little bit hurt, but almost soothing. Jack almost feels a familiar touch he knows well, but can't find it in his heart to believe what he thinks. Out of no where, in order for some reason to apologize for his actions towards Skylar, but also to thank her for her sympathy. Jack leans closer towards Skylar and kisses her on the forehead, with his eyes closed. Skylar's eyes are closed, as well, but only for a second while it happens. Skylar's eyes are open before Jack removes his lips from her forehead and opens his eyes once again. Their hands are still touching though. Jack then removes his hand from the wall, but still has their hands touching, having their hands between them.

"So, what's going on here then?" Lazar asks.

They both turn to look and he is about four feet away from them. Skylar then removes her hand out of Jack's hold.

"Well, I see you two are suddenly getting along nicely. Your lucky it was me and not Mr. Goodwin. Otherwise, you dear Skylar would be out of here in probably not even a…" Says Lazar.

"That's enough, Lazar!" Jack says, yelling. He moves to stand in front of Skylar, defending her for his own actions. "It wasn't her doing, it was all mine. You didn't see anything here, Lazar. Or so help me, I'll pound your face 'til it looks like a pancake." Says Jack. He suddenly feels a hand on his shoulder and looks over at Skylar. "It is alright, Jack. You should just worry about dueling and not losing any other duels. I have an assignment to do… I shall see you when I return." Skylar says. She removes her hand from Jack's shoulder. Then as Skylar's about to turn and leave, Jack grabs her hand to stop her and is now holding her hand between them again. "You don't have to keep living like this. You know working as Goodwin's assistant, messenger and bodyguard. If you want, I have a penthouse that's big enough for more than just myself. If you want, my penthouse door is always open for you to either come talk to me or stay with me as just my roommate. You know, just as my friend." Says Jack. "Thanks for the offer, Jack. I shall take it under consideration. However, this assignment that Goodwin assigned me is something I must do. Don't worry, Jack. I will think about it." Skylar says. "That's all I ask for is for you to think about it." Says Jack. He lets go of Skylar's hand and she walks away. "I shall see you when I return." Skylar says. She then leaves out the doors.

Lazar walks up to stand at Jack's side, with his arms behind his back. "So, it's Skylar that you want, is it? If that's so, then I would get to her while you still have a chance. But her with a guy like you, Jack. Doesn't really do you justice." Says Lazar, commenting. He's trying to get Jack fired up again. Jack glares down at Lazar. "You say one more disrespectful thing about 'er, you are going to wish you never met me. She's just a friend." Jack says, fiercely. "That's not what I saw. Friends don't kiss at all." Says Lazar. "That kiss was just on the forehead and it was to thank her." Jack says. "Thank her for what?" Asks Lazar. "Never mind, someone like you would never understand." Jack says. "Anyway, Mr. Goodwin wants a word with you." Says Lazar. "I'm serious, Lazar. You mention a word of this to Goodwin and cost Skylar her job…" Jack says, threateningly. "My lips are sealed, Jack. But sooner or later, Goodwin is going to find out that there is some sort of spark between you and her." Says Lazar. "He isn't going to find out. I'll make sure of it." Jack says.

Yusei and Yanagi have been escorted to a gym of some kind, roughly, shoved across the room and are now standing opposite of the inmate and about fifteen thugs. "Say hello, newbie, to my duel stadium. Hope ya know how to duel!" This is clearly the new inmate's trial by fire.

Yanagi is panicking, but Yusei is poker-faced.

The inmate activates a duel disk. "Ya ready, guys? Let's see what he's made of!" He walks up and bends over slightly to get in Yusei's face. Yanagi is still panicking, Yusei doesn't blink. "Now, let me tell ya how things are gonna work around here. First day in, everyone duels. You duel good, you get respect. But, don't get no ideas, 'cause I'm the best." "Ah! Ahhh! Aaah-hah-hah! A' course you're the best! You're Bolt Tanner!" Says Yanagi. He turns to Yusei. "He's a pro!" Yanagi says, aside to Yusei. He then turns back to Tanner. "And I'm your biggest fan! Can I have an autograph, pleeease?" Asks Yanagi. "Sure! But I only write in black and blue!" Tanner says.

Two of his cronies mutter to each other. A taller one with an orange jumpsuit, a tuft of blondish hair and a thin mark running down his left cheek. The other guy is shorter by half a foot, with short black hair and a mark under his right eye that looks like a spiky, upside-down letter U. "Aw, man. The old guy had that comin'." "Tanner sure does hate it when anybody brings up his past."

"Congrats, you got your first opponent! And it's yours truly! And I'm gonna mop the floor with that big head a' yours! And 'cause ya got no deck, looks like you're duelin' with a reject one we put together!" Says Tanner. "Ehehe, actually, I smuggled in my own deck, Tanner, and it's the greatest deck ever made!" Yanagi says. "Naahh!" Says Tanner. "I call it my 'Treasure' deck. And it's packed… Relics! Fossils! Antiques!" Yanagi says. He pulls out his cards and waves them around, jumping about, ecstatically. "See? See? See see? It's all here!" Says Yanagi.

"Treasure deck?" "How'd he get that?"

"Either way, they won't help ya, grandpa!" Tanner says. He then turns to Yusei. "Where's your deck?" Asks Tanner. Yusei breaks eye contact and looks at the floor. "Not with me." Yusei asks. "Huh! After I'm through with gramps over here, I'll rustle up some cards for you. And then I'll teach you a thing or two about dueling in the Facility." Says Tanner. He gets in Yusei's face. "And you'd better believe it'll be a lesson that you'll never forget." Tanner says. Yusei matches his hostility with a glare of his own. Yanagi steps between Tanner and Yusei. "Okay, let's everyone calm down! I've been here before, and I know how the rules are supposed to work. If I win, then well, I'm in charge." Says Yanagi. "Like that would ever happen!" Tanner says, yelling. "Well since you're so confident, let's get this duel started so I can end it!" Says Yanagi. He puts on a duel disk. "Whooohooo! This is like a dream come true, Tanner! Dueling my hero!" Yanagi says. "Just go!" Says Tanner, yelling.

"Be careful, Tanner. After all, if his deck's for real, then you just might have a fight on your hands."

"Huh! Like his treasure deck is real! Don't make me laugh!" Tanner says.

"Oh, they're real! I promise! And they're gonna put me in charge a' this place!" Says Yanagi.

"Grandpa! Age before beauty!" Tanner says.

"Ehahahaha! I get it. I'm first." Says Yanagi.

He and Tanner activate their duel disks and each start with 4000 lifepoints.

"Watch this." Yanagi says. He draws. "Oh! A priceless artifact!" Says Yanagi. He waves Crystal Skull. "I got this one during my last amazing adventure! I befriended a tribe of ancient Aztec warriors who led me to their secret forbidden temple, where I found…" Yanagi says.

"Save the stories for bedtime, grandpa, and make your move." Says Tanner.

"…Where I found this!" Yanagi says. He kisses the card. "The ancient relic known as the Crystal Skull!" Says Yanagi. Crystal Skull has 0 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a water type monster.

Crystal Skull is a monster card that deals one-thousand points of damage to its controller when it is summoned.

Yanagi's summoned it in defense mode face-up. Big light show. "So who's laughing now, Tanner?!" Yanagi asks. Crystal Skull shocks him for 1000 points. "Ahiyaiyaiya!" Says Yanagi.

Tanner's peanut gallery is in stitches. "Ya didn't read the fine print, gramps!" "Looks like his treasure has its own curse! He lost lifepoints just for summoning it!"

"Ehh, but of course! The curse proves that it's no fake! The Aztecs promised me it was real!" Yanagi says.

The thugs laugh even harder. "Ha, and what else did they promise you… Montezuma's Revenge? Hahaha!" "Hey, grandpa, I got an ancient artifact for ya, it's ya wardrobe! If there's one thing the ancient Aztecs didn't give ya, it was a mirror!"

"Hehehahahah! Aw, yeah, not to mention deodorant!" Says Tanner.

"You think you're funny?! Just you wait! The ancient and mystical powers of the Crystal Skull will stop you laughing in your tracks!" Yanagi says.

"Okay, gramps, storytime's over! Ha! So now it's my turn! And I'm starting out with this… my spell card 'Cost Down'!" Says Tanner.

'Cost Down' is a spell card that down-grades all the monsters in your hand by two levels until the end of your turn.

"Huh? Hey, why'd you do that?" Yanagi asks.

"Huh. 'Cause you're a funny guy, grandpa, and I want the chance to embarrass you even more. And this guy should keep the misery coming… I summon Ushi Oni! And he's worse than anyone you might run into here!" Says Tanner.

"Aaaaaah!" Yanagi screams.

Ushi Oni has 2150 attack points. "Hehaha! You look scared, grandpa! And you should be, because my Ushi Oni is about to turn your Crystal Skull into an Aztec ruin! Ushi Oni, take out that ancient relic!" Tanner says.

"You can't! The Crystal Skull is a priceless artifact! Aaaaaih!" Says Yanagi.

The thugs laugh and cheer.

"Waiiigh! Do you know what you've just done?!" Yanagi asks.

"I just destroyed a priceless artifact, gramps! Guess what? Now it really is ancient history! Your turn!" Says Tanner.

"Well let's see what other treasures I have for you! Heha! Watch this! Ah-hahaha! This was a rare find indeed! During my adventures in India, I discovered this Ashoka Pillar, in the lost capital of the ancient Maurya Empire!" Yanagi says. Ashoka Pillar has 0 attack points, 2200 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is an earth type monster.

All the thugs gasp, in awe.

"Amazing!" Says Yanagi.

"Looks more like a giant lamp post to me." "Yeah, that don't seem so special!"

"Well, it is! See, the Ashoka Pillar is a source of great strength to the Maurya culture! It's over a millennia old, and no one knows quite how it was created. I have my suspicions." Yanagi says.

"Hey, grandpa! Give the college lecture a break! They tried to teach me that stuff back at the Re-Education Center and I flunked it a dozen times!" Says Tanner.

"I'd be happy to tutor you in all the relevant texts. For instance, this 'Spirit Mask' card is a treasured artifact from an African tribe." Yanagi says. He plays the spell card and an African tribal mask appears at the top of the pillar.

"Hah! All that's good for is Halloween!" Says Tanner.

"But it has vast supernatural powers… just wait 'til next turn!" Yanagi says.

"Don't think so! Nnh! I've had enough of Aztec this, Ashoka that, and African whatever! So I think I'll end this lecture of yours and start up one a' my own!" Says Tanner.

Yusei, watching quietly, doesn't like the sound of that at all.

Up high in the bleachers, not even noticed, which she doesn't really mind. Skylar looks on, watching the duel, just like Yusei is. Skylar's right leg is crossed over the left, her right arm is lying across her lap and her left arm is lying on a bleacher above from where she's sitting. Skylar got there near the middle of the duel and doesn't like how it's been going so far, how terrible Tanner is treating Yanagi. Only, Skylar knows the reason why Tanner is locked up in here, as well as why he hates people bringing up his past.

"See, I rule this place! And it's time you losers learned a lesson in respect! Now let's get this class started!" Tanner says.

"Huh? Uh-oh." Says Yanagi.

"I summon Giant Ushi Oni!" Tanner says. Giant Ushi Oni has 2600 attack points. "Hey, grandpa! You might wanna close your eyes, unless you wanna see your pillar get pulverized!" Says Tanner.

"Heh. So much for that!"

"Yaaaah!" Yanagi screams. He looks up at his pillar, as it crumbles, then winces, as it shatters and disappears.

"Heheheheh. But wait, guys, gramps wasn't lyin' about that Pillar's strength." Tanner says.

"Huh?" Asks Yanagi.

"'Cause as soon as it gets destroyed, it delivers two thousand points of damage to its owner!" Tanner says.

"Yaaaaiaaah!" Yanagi screams.

"And let's not forget your supernatural 'Spirit Mask'! It went right to the graveyard, and that means you take one card from your hand, and throw it in afterward to keep it company!" Says Tanner.

Yanagi sighs. "Oh, yeah." Yanagi says, sadly. He discards the spell 'Triangle O'.

"Huh! Tanner's right, he shoulda saved that mask for some masquerade ball."

Yusei grits his teeth, this isn't good.

Skylar's eyes show frustration towards how Tanner and his cronies are treating miserable and depressed Yanagi.

"If you wanna see some real magic, check out Ushi's special ability. If he destroys a monster in battle, he can attack you all over again! Now, Giant Ushi Oni, attack!" Says Tanner.

Yanagi panics, waving his arms, wildly, and falling backward before Giant Ushi Oni pounces on him. Yanagi's cards scatter to the ground.

Which forces Skylar to stand to her feet, wanting to help Yanagi, but she doesn't walk down from there.

Yusei runs over to Yanagi, as his lifepoints fall to zero. "Ah! Are you okay?!" Yusei asks. He starts to lift Yanagi to his feet, but he struggles away and hastens to pick up his precious cards from the ground.

"Class dismissed!" Says Tanner. He walks over to Yanagi's side of the field. "You may've been here before, grandpa, but you never dueled with the likes of me. Since you lost, that means I'm still in charge a' this place!" Tanner says.

Crystal Skull is still lying on the floor.

Before Yanagi can grab it, Tanner stomps on it and the card is under his foot. Yanagi falls upon it with a wail, kneeling over Tanner's shoe. "Now, get outta here! And leave your precious treasures with me! Heh!" Says Tanner. "Please let me keep my deck! I'm just an old man, Mr. Tanner. I've spent my entire life collecting all these rare cards! These cards are all I have left! You understand, they're like my children!" Yanagi says.

Yusei hasn't moved, from the look on his face, he won't stand by and let Tanner bully him.

Skylar's eyes show almost the exact same thing as Yusei's, but she can't really do anything about it. Even though Skylar is a woman and Tanner won't place his hands on her, she can't risk someone else getting hurt because of her dueling deck again. Remembering how out of control Cynder got during Jack and Yusei's duel last night. Only telling her to attack Jack's dragon, but Cynder wound up attacking Yusei's dragon, as well, which almost put him in danger and almost seriously injuring him.

"These cards are so special and so delicate that they require proper supervision! I've climbed Mount Everest, I've survived the Saharan heat, I've touched the north and south poles, and in all these amazing travels, there's nothing as precious as these cards! Just open your heart and let me keep them…" Says Yanagi. Tanner starts to grind Crystal Skull's card under his foot. "…safe and sou… aaaah! You can't do this!" Yanagi says.

Yusei puts a hand on Tanner's shoulder. Tanner turns his head. Yusei kicks both of Tanner's feet out from under him and he lands sprawled on the floor.

Tanner sits up, infuriated.

Yusei also seems angry, shoulders hunched, as he looks down at Yanagi.

Skylar saw the whole thing happen and is impressed with what Yusei had done, although it can't be seen from behind her half-mask hiding the lower half of her face. _"That__'__s the Yusei I remember, my brother." _Skylar thinks to herself.

"Looks like you just earned yourself a duel!" Says Tanner.

"Can I borrow your cards?" Yusei asks. "Huh?!" Asks Yanagi. "I can see the true value of your treasure deck." Yusei says. He takes Yanagi's deck, holding it with the esteem due another duelist's cards. "What?" Asks Yanagi.

"Huh?!" Tanner asks.

Yusei straps on the duel disk Yanagi was using, then stands up and faces him. "So you think this treasure deck is worthless?" Asks Yusei. He turns to Tanner. "Then prove it, Tanner." Yusei says.

Skylar sits back down on the bleacher she was recently sitting on, crossing her right leg over her left and her arms where they were recently laying. If there was one thing Skylar remembered about Yusei's dueling, it is that he can pull off a duel with anyone's deck.

"Duel you? With that deck?" Asks Tanner. He stands up. "Please. I want a challenge." Tanner says.

"And you'll get one. You said we duel here for respect, I think it's about time you learned what that really means." Says Yusei.

_"That__'__s my brother for you. He almost always knows the right thing to say." _Skylar thinks to herself.

"Ah!" Yanagi says. It's on. Yanagi is overjoyed.

Tanner glares, fiercely.

The thugs are agape.

Yusei glares back at Tanner, a smoldering fire, as the latter chuckles, superiorly.


	8. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: The Facility: Part 2 **_

At the Facility, New Domino's prison.

Yusei is facing off against Tanner.

Hearing various jeers and catcalls from Tanner's gang of thugs.

"There's no way you've got the skills to take me down! Do you have any idea what you're gettin' into, kid?" Tanner asks.

"Bring it on and find out." Says Yusei.

"Huh. Well at least you've got the whole 'attitude' thing covered." Tanner says.

"You're gonna duel with the old guy's deck?" "Guess you're lookin' to get embarrassed by Tanner, too!" The next speaker is another of Tanner's thugs, with bright red hair that sticks straight up and a triangle mark that points downward from his left eye. "They are bunkmates. Maybe crazy's contagious."

"Ya don't have to do this, ya know!" Says Yanagi.

"If I don't step up, I'll never live it down." Yusei says.

_"There's somethin' special about this whippersnapper. If I really saw what I think I saw the other night..." _Yanagi thinks to himself.

Flashback. Yanagi glimpsed the giant Crimson Dragon shining in the sky above the Kaibadome, spreading its wings wide, the sky swirling around it as it shone brighter and brighter. _"...is it possible that this kid is who I think he is?" _Yanagi thinks to himself, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Who are you?" Asks Yanagi.

"Just a guy trying to get by." Yusei says.

"You lose a duel in here, rookie, and no one's gonna respect you! And trust me, around here you survive on respect!" Says Tanner.

Yusei activates his duel disk. Yusei's all bold, stubborn, levelheaded attitude. "Well then, you better hope you don't lose." Yusei says.

"Let's do this!" Says both Tanner and Yusei. Both duelists start with 4000 lifepoints.

"Seniority rules here! I'm goin' first! Lemme introduce you to my little pet, Jirai Gumo!" Tanner says. Jirai Gumo has 2200 attack points, 100 defense points and is a level 4 monster.

"Yaaah! Spider!" Says Yanagi.

"What's wrong, gramps, creepy crawlies givin' you the shakes?" The thug section cheers Tanner on. "…Come on, Tanner, get 'im!" "…Yeah, go!" "…Yeah! Yeah!" "…Yeah, you can do it! Come on!"

"I place two cards face down and end my turn! It's your move, kid! How's the oldtimer's deck lookin'? Ya gonna throw some garage-sale rejects at me?" Tanner asks.

Yusei looks at his hand. Ashoka Pillar, 'Stonehenge', 'Spirit Mask', 'Curse Reflection Doll' and Crystal Skull. "Hey, Yanagi." Says Yusei.

"Huh?" Yanagi asks.

"Don't listen to anything these guys have to say. They don't know what they're talking about." Says Yusei.

"But you saw me duel, everything blew up in my face! I had my old butt handed to me!" Yanagi says.

"Well, let me show you what these ancient relics of yours..." Says Yusei.

"...can do in the right hands." Yusei says, via-screen. Armstrong is watching the duel on the Facility's security monitors, his large boots propped up on the desk. Armstrong picks up a phone and dials...

Meanwhile, Goodwin and Jack are striding up the front walkway to the former's mansion. Goodwin is talking on a cell phone. "Yes. Understood. Just be sure to keep an eye on that duel, Mr. Armstrong. Write up a report. Be sure to note if anything unusual happens." Says Goodwin. He hangs up. "Sounds like your old buddy from the Satellite is making some new duelist friends in the Facility." Goodwin says. Jack, walking ahead, is unamused. "Hmph!" Says Jack, groaning. "Look, Jack. I'm sorry about how recent events have transpired, but, allow me to explain. So far our relationship has operated on a need-to-know basis, meaning I know things that you don't. 'Cause you haven't needed to know these things. Until now." Goodwin says. They step into an elevator. Goodwin takes off his right glove, presses a few buttons and lets it scan his fingerprint and retina. "Fingerprint verification. Optical analysis. Scan complete. Welcome, Mr. Goodwin." Says the computer.

The elevator takes them down below basement level, they emerge in a hallway made of carved stone and lit with torches that don't seem to be fueled, but nevertheless burn steadily. Jack looks around, poker-faced. "You're a lot more important than you know, Jack. But what makes you important is not that you're a great duelist. Rather you're a great duelist because of what makes you important." Goodwin says. "I'm gonna pretend that made sense." Says Jack, a little sarcastically. They are approaching a stone door with very intricate carvings, complex, but symmetrical in design. It looks like a depiction of a great monster, or several. It slides open as they reach it. "Beyond this door lies your destiny." Goodwin says. They walk inside.

As Jack's foot first touches the floor, the floor begins to glow, uplighting both with red light. Jack starts to show surprise. The stone door rumbles closed. Jack turns, not ready to be stuck inside. Goodwin stands, calmly. "What's goin' on, Goodwin?!" Asks Jack. "What I'm about to show you is one of the world's best-kept secrets!" Goodwin says. "Huh?" Asks Jack. He turns and looks at what is standing at the center of the room. "Amazing, isn't it?" Goodwin asks. It's a pyramid, in the style native to Central or South America. At its base is an archway, framing a steep stair to a temple at the top and carved in the top center of the archway... "Hey! That dragon symbol looks like…" Says Jack. He then pulls down his glove and rolls up his sleeve to look at the wing-shaped Mark of the Dragon on his arm. "Now listen closely, Jack. You're standing in front of the stairway of the Crimson Dragon. It was originally erected in Peru, but my predecessors relocated it here." Goodwin says. "That's all well and good, but how does that relate to this mark?" Asks Jack. "The mark on your arm represents the Right Wing of the Crimson Dragon, the same dragon you and Yusei somehow summoned at the end of your duel. Like I said, Jack, you're much more important than you know!" Goodwin says.

Still sitting high in the bleachers, Skylar is still watching very carefully while Yusei duels. The sudden pain returns to Skylar's arm, that's lying across her lap, and upper back, as if they are trying to warn her about something, almost like something has been disturbed. The wing-shaped sign on Skylar's arm begins to glow red through her sleeve and glove. Skylar removes her arm from lying on her lap and holds at it, trying to make the pain cease, but it's not working. Skylar then looks back over her shoulder, as the symbolic designs on her upper back start glowing red through the back of her bodysuit, which is causing her quite a bit of pain. But, the mark on Skylar's forearm and the symbolic designs on her upper back are the only ones glowing and bothering her, the dragon sign that she has on her abdomen is the only one that isn't. _"What is with this pain in my arm and back?" _Skylar thinks to herself. She then brings her attention back to the duel.

"My move, Tanner." Says Yusei. He draws. Yusei drew 'Triangle O'. _"This won't help now." _Yusei thinks to himself.

"Whatever you do, don't use the Crystal Skull!" Yanagi says.

"The Crystal Skull... good idea!" Says Yusei.

"What are you… I said don't use it! Didn't you see what it did to me?!" Yanagi asks.

"I summon Crystal Skull in defense mode!" Says Yusei. Crystal Skull has 0 defense points. As soon as it hits the field, Crystal Skull emits a burst of light and blasts Yusei.

"You can't say I didn't warn you." Yanagi says.

Tanner's peanut gallery is in stitches.

Tanner looks frustrated. "You know that skull's cursed… why play something that attacks yourself?!" Asks Tanner.

Yusei is standing in a beam of light, the attack hasn't actually blasted him yet. "Good question, why would I?" Yusei asks.

"Huh?" Asks Tanner.

"It'd be a stupid move, unless of course I had this!" Yusei says. He plays a spell card.

"Oh, I remember that one! I got it from a friendly shaman in Africa, but he never got the chance to explain how it worked." Says Yanagi.

The spell card creates a little white paper doll, which sits in the beam of light and turns black… and nasty.

Suddenly, there are millions of little black paper dolls, all of them headed straight for Tanner! "What's goin' on?!" Tanner asks. His lifepoints are now at 3000.

Yusei's are untouched.

"What just happened? Seems everything played out all opposite-like." "Tanner ended up losing a thousand lifepoints, and the new guy didn't take any damage at all!"

"How'd you do that?! What was that card you just played?!" Asks Tanner. "The 'Curse Reflection Doll'. Normally it's used to deflect curse attacks sent by the opponent, but I'm gonna use it to turn my own curse into an attack against you." Yusei says.

"Ugh!" Says Tanner.

"So the newbie found some crazy-clever way to put that curse in reverse!"

"I'm just so glad that someone other than me can see the true value of these cards!" Yanagi says.

"Well I never met a card I didn't like." Says Yusei.

"Huh?" Yanagi asks.

"Ya see every card is special, and you just have to learn to appreciate its power in order to figure out how to best use it." Says Yusei.

"So you don't think they're worthless?" Yanagi asks.

"No way, this deck is incredible!" Says Yusei.

"I knew it. I just knew it!" Yanagi says.

"Hey, come on, don't sweat it, Tanner! The new kid just got lucky, is all! Don't let it get to ya!"

"No!" Says Tanner.

His guys gasp.

Tanner is starting to smile. _"That was not luck. If the pro duels taught me one thing, it was how to spot a good opponent! And somethin' tells me this newbie may actually know what he's doing." _Tanner thinks to himself.

"It's your move, Tanner!" Yusei says.

"Hey, you guys. Was Tanner actually bein' nice for once?"

"It's my turn, I draw!" Says Tanner. He looks, he drew Ushi Oni. "Sweet. I release Jirai Gumo, in order to summon Ushi Oni!" Tanner says. Ushi Oni has 2150 attack points and is a dark type monster.

"Eh, why would he do that? Jirai Gumo is more powerful than this monster." Says Yanagi.

"Just wait, oldtimer!" "The real show's about to begin!"

"Now, I release Ushi Oni to summon Giant Ushi Oni!" Tanner says. Giant Ushi Oni has 2600 attack points, is a level 8 monster and is a dark type monster. Giant Ushi Oni is a big, vicious monster, bright blue half-minotaur with spider's legs and eyes. "And next, my Giant Ushi Oni's taking out your Crystal Skull!" Says Tanner.

"Yeah! Crack up that crystal!" "Oh yeah!"

"Aaaah!" Yanagi screams.

"Go, Specter's Bite!" Tanner says. Giant Ushi Oni smashes Crystal Skull.

Yusei doesn't twitch.

"Aaaah!" Yanagi screams.

"That was only the beginning of your worries! 'Cause when Giant Ushi Oni destroys a monster in battle, it gets to attack again! And with Crystal Skull gone, you got no defense! So you're open for a direct attack!" Says Tanner.

Giant Ushi Oni wraps Yusei up in webs and takes him down to 1400 lifepoints in one blast. Yusei still doesn't so much as flinch.

"Haha! You're really getting caught up in this duel, aren'tcha?" Tanner asks.

The webs dissolve. Yusei is still glaring at Tanner, steadily, never betraying a hint of weakness.

"You okay?" Asks Yanagi.

"That was awesome!" "This guy just ain't got what it takes!"

"So are you any good at all, kid? Or are you the loser these guys say you are?" Tanner asks.

Goodwin and Jack are standing before the stair of the Crimson Dragon. "Jack, allow me to shed some light. I am the three-hundred-and-sixtieth Guardian of the Stars. Throughout history, my order has been known by many names, 'The Guardians of Peace', 'The Servants to the Stars'. We have sworn to maintain balance in the universe by taking… the Oath of Yliaster." Says Goodwin. "The what-now?" Jack asks. "It is the power that gives everything in nature its inner essence and outward form. The universe, energy and mankind. Yliaster is the power flowing through all of these things, binding them together." Says Goodwin. "So it's glue. You swore an allegiance to magic glue." Jack says. "Joke all you want, but that mark on your arm? It means you're part of something much greater. And if your friend Yusei really does have a mark, then he's part of it, too." Says Goodwin.

Skylar is still holding at her arm, that is still glowing through the sleeve, as well as still hurting her, and the symbolic designs on her upper back are still glowing through the back of her bodysuit, also causing her quite a deal of pain, but she is trying to ignore them both and stay focused on the duel.

"From my hand, I summon Ashoka Pillar in defense mode!" Yusei says. Ashoka Pillar has 0 attack points, 2200 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is an earth type monster.

Ashoka Pillar is a monster card that deals two-thousand points of damage to its owner when it is destroyed.

Tanner's spectators are laughing it up again. "Oooh, look at me… I just summoned a giant stick!" "Now you got us really scared!"

"Knock it off, you two!" Says Tanner, yelling.

"Ungh!" Yanagi says.

"I'm interested to see how much he can squeeze outta this duel. You got another surprise up your sleeve?" Asks Tanner.

"I'm all about surprises. Like this next card… 'Stonehenge'! See, the power of 'Stonehenge' lets me summon a monster with no attack points from my graveyard, so I'm summoning Crystal Skull in defense position." Yusei says. Crystal Skull is again summoned to the field and this time he does get blasted. Yusei lets it take him down to 400 lifepoints, calmly.

Tanner's spectators laugh it up. "Is your skull as empty as that crystal skull?" "'Cause unless ya got another a' those 'Reflection Dolls', that was the stupidest move possible!"

"Think again, boys. Giant Ushi Oni can attack twice. If he hadn't summoned that Skull, I would've been able to take him out after demolishing his Ashoka Pillar. But with that Crystal Skull in the way…" Says Tanner.

"Ushi Oni'll have to attack it instead a' him!" "Uh, so, he basically saved himself from a big beatin' by taking a little, medium-size beatin'?"

"Yup. Except he made one major mistake." Tanner says.

"What kinda mistake?"

"When Ushi Oni demolishes that pillar, he'll take two-thousand points of damage." Says Tanner.

"Sorry, kiddo. I wish that I could've given you a better deck." Yanagi says.

"Don't give up on your deck now, gramps." Says Yusei.

"Huh?" Yanagi asks.

"I place one card face down and end my turn." Says Yusei.

_"A trap card. Now if only I can get 'im to use it." _Tanner thinks to himself. "Don't think that face down card can save ya, kid!" Tanner says.

Jack follows Goodwin toward the arch. "This is the Shrine of Yliaster." Says Goodwin. "What are those li'l drawings?" Jack asks. "They're carvings, Jack. Carvings that narrate ancient myths and legends." Says Goodwin. He runs a gloved hand over the designs carved into the stone, carefully. "How the universe began. The dawn of time. The birth of civilization. The creation of my order. The great war of the demons." Goodwin says. He raises a hand and suddenly the two of them are standing in a vision.

They're standing above the clouds, as they soar past below them. "Come, Jack! Let me take you on a journey through time!" Says Goodwin. They are approaching the Stair of the Crimson Dragon as it was in ancient times, backed by mountains. The pillars surrounding its base look like the torches in the underground hallway. "Long ago, in the pre-Incan civilization of South America, the People of the Stars built a giant building of stone known as the Stairway of the Dragon." Goodwin says. "Okay..." Says Jack, sarcastically. "The Stairway was built in honor of the Dragon Star, which was said to govern all of creation." Goodwin says. Shining above the highest mountain peak is a bright star that glimmers red. The Star Dragon King is the only ancient person in this vision who wears bright colors, he is richly robed in purple, red and turquoise, with a headdress and adornments of gold. He is either masked or meant to be no individual in particular. "All the wisdom held by the star was handed down to their ruler, the Star Dragon King. Led by the Star and their King, the People of the Stars built an incredible civilization." Says Goodwin. The torches around the Stair light up, as do torches around the edges of every level of the stepped pyramid. The firelight reflects in Jack's eyes, as he listens quietly. "But then the gate to the Shadow Realm was opened. Legends tell of evil demons and spirits led by the Demon Lord engaging in a great war. The King climbed the stairway and begged the Dragon Star to help his people. And the Dragon Star answered the King's cry!" Goodwin says. He's really getting into the story, arms upraised to the Stair. "The great Crimson Dragon came down from above and swept over the land, sealing the forces of evil deep beneath the Earth." Says Goodwin. "Like in the dirt." Jack says. "Precisely. Behold..." Says Goodwin. He raises his arm and the vision changes. They're standing in thin air, high above the ground. Below them, geoglyphs in fantastical shapes stretch across the desert. "Are those the legendary Nazca Lines?!" Jack asks. "They are the Seals of the Crimson Dragon." Says Goodwin.

Skylar's arm and back are still glowing bright red and bothering her with every passing moment of the duel, only it's not the duel that's causing the pain at all and she knows that much.

"Alright, newbie… my turn!" Tanner says. He draws and looks, it's Nobleman of Crossout. "Heh. Let's see how much your little trinkets can stand up... to this move!" Says Tanner. Giant Ushi Oni roars.

Yanagi gets scared. "No! Aaaah!" Yanagi says.

"Giant Ushi Oni, tear down that Ashoka Pillar!" Says Tanner.

"I activate the 'Totem Pole' trap card!" Yusei says. A big totem pole appears on his field, a piece of it blasts off from it and collides with Giant Ushi Oni, deflecting the attack before being destroyed. The rest of the totem pole fastens itself together, it just got one piece shorter.

"Huh?" Asks Tanner.

"How incredible!" Yanagi says.

Over in the peanut gallery, jaws are dropping.

"Keep 'em comin', Tanner! 'Cause 'Totem Pole' can block your monsters' attacks up to three times!" Says Yusei.

"This is fantastic! With my deck you're gonna win!" Yanagi says.

Tanner starts laughing.

"Huh?" Asks Yanagi.

"You think I didn't see that coming? I was countin' on it! 'Cause now I can build my 'Spider Web Castle'! And it's all thanks to you activating your trap card!" Tanner says. His 'Spider Web Castle' is a huge pagoda of filmy webs, quite a sight if you aren't stuck facing it. "So now, if your monster attacks, it'll get caught in my web and only be able to use half its attack points! But the best part is that I can also just send the card to my graveyard, and then jump past your defense for a direct attack!" Says Tanner.

"I take it back, kid. You're not gonna win." Yanagi says.

"Now I place one card face down and end my turn." Says Tanner. _"Bring it on, kid. 'Cause my field is perfect. Thanks to __'__Trap Hole__'__, if you summon a new monster with a thousand or more attack points, it'll get destroyed. And if you summon some weaker ones in attack position, hopin' for a straight-up brawl, I can use __'__Mirror Force__' __to wipe 'em out before they even move! This duel's got me all fired up. I love it. It reminds me of better days, back when I was on my way to the top a' the Speed World Circuit."_ Tanner thinks to himself.

Flashback. Tanner, not yet marked with tracking dye, rode a blue duel runner.

Not a single seat in the Kaibadome was empty and every person sitting in them was cheering out loud.

_"The roar of the crowd, the energy in the air. Heart pounding, blood racing. It was the greatest feeling in the world."_ Tanner thinking to himself, in voice-over. He's racing around the bowled edge of the track and a familiar white runner is catching up to him, his opponent is Jack. _"'Til... I took a run for the championship, and Jack Atlas took me out in one move!" _Tanner thinks to himself, in voice-over. Giant Ushi Oni is obliterated in a fiery blast. Tanner looks shocked. "Uuugghh!" Tanner screams. _"That was the most humiliating defeat of my career."_ Tanner thinks to himself, in voice-over.

After the race, Tanner is sitting on the ground somewhere off the track, still in his riding suit, his runner parked nearby.

Jack walks up to Tanner and takes off his own riding helmet, with Skylar standing next to him. "Guess you'll have to wait a little longer to take your victory lap, huh, Tanner? Maybe next time I'll actually try!" Jack says. "Jack, it's time to go." Says Skylar. "Yeah, yeah. I'm going." Jack says. He walks away, leaving Tanner to his despair.

Skylar places a hand on Tanner's shoulder. "I'm truly sorry for Jack's cruel and arrogant words. He's just a spoiled, self-centered little punk. Don't let his words get the better of you." Says Skylar. She then takes her hand off of Tanner's shoulder and walks off, probably to catch up to Jack.

_ "It was all downhill from there."_ Tanner thinks to himself, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Tanner looks over at Yusei again, a fierce smile on his face. _"But I like this kid. He reminds me of... well, of me."_ Tanner thinks to himself.

Oblivious to his scrutiny, Yusei gets ready to make his next move. "It's my move, Tanner!" Yusei says. He looks down at his deck and prepares to draw, this is it. _"I know this deck won't let me down."_ Yusei thinks to himself.

Tanner groans, he, too, knows that this is his only chance to win.

_"If I can get one more monster on the field, I can win this! If not, I'm a goner."_ Yusei thinks to himself. He closes his eyes and draws...

"It's your move, newbie!" Says Tanner.

Yusei looks at the spell card he drew and smiles.

"Ungh?" Tanner asks.

"Uh-oh, he smiled!"

"Uh..." Says Yanagi.

"I activate the 'Piri Reis Map' spell card!" Yusei says.

'Piri Reis Map' is a spell card that lets you draw a zero-attack-point monster. But if it's summoned, you lose half your lifepoints.

"What can ya do with some old piece a' paper?"

"It's not paper, it's gazelle skin!" Says Yanagi.

"Here he goes again!"

"It was drawn by famous admiral…" Yanagi says.

"Enough with the lectures, professor!"

"Ugh!" Says Yanagi.

"The 'Piri Reis Map' can show a monster with no attack points a clear path from my deck to my hand." Yusei says.

"So does that mean you get to draw another card?" Asks Tanner.

"I'm not just drawing the card, I'm summoning it… Cabrera Stone!" Yusei says. Cabrera Stone has 0 attack points, 0 defense points and is a level 1 monster. The air ripples and Yusei takes a hit, leaving him with 200 lifepoints.

"What's some little rock gonna do?"

"It's a stone. The Cabrera Stone to be exact! They say a lost civilization was…" Says Yanagi.

"Nobody cares, old man!"

"This is an archaeological spectacle! The Crystal Skull, a Cabrera Stone and Ashoka Pillar? I'm getting historical goosebumps! The world's best museums don't boast collections as rare as this!" Yanagi says.

"Somethin' I don't get. The downside of that map of yours, is that you had to lose half your lifepoints in order to summon that rock you added to your hand. That leaves you with only two-hundred lifepoints. Why would you put yourself at risk like that to summon something with no attack points?" Asks Tanner.

"To win this duel." Yusei says. "Huh?" Asks Tanner.

"Sorry, Tanner, but now that I've gathered Crystal Skull, Ashoka Pillar and Cabrera Stone on my field together, I can activate another card." Yusei says.

"It can't be!" Says Yanagi.

"Nnngh!" Tanner says.

"I activate the spell card… 'Triangle O'!" Says Yusei. Triangle O is a bright-turquoise light-streaming triangle that spreads outward from his feet. Crystal Skull, Ashoka Pillar and Cabrera Stone begin to crack.

"What kinda hocus-pocus is this?! Ugh!" Tanner says. The light spreads to his side of the field and he flinches. Giant Ushi Oni begins to crack, too, and 'Spider Web Castle' is emitting little motes of light.

The spectators are stunned and scared. "He's demolishing everything!"

"Amazing! I can't wait to see what this can really do!" Says Yanagi.

"Triangle O's power destroys every card on the field. And all the damage I woulda taken because of the cards' effects gets dealt to you! Respect that, Tanner!" Yusei says.

Tanner's lifepoints fall from 3000 to 0. Tanner falls to one knee, winded. "I-I don't believe it!" Says Tanner.

The spectators run over. "Tanner, are you okay?!"

"Dear boy, dear boy, that was stupendous! I've traveled the world over, but I've never seen dueling like that! You never even attacked! Haha! I could hug you, but don't worry, I won't." Yanagi says. "I couldn't've done it without this awesome deck of yours!" Says Yusei. "Actually, I will hug ya." Yanagi says.

Tanner stands up.

While across the field, Yusei's trying to keep Yanagi from kissing him, too. "Um... uh..." Says Yusei.

"Don't worry, we don't care if 'e won, he's still slime to us!" "Yeah, we're gonna take that treasure deck!" "Hang on." Tanner says. "Huh?" "Hang on for what?"

"You won a duel without ever attacking once. That's a pretty amazing thing to pull off. And I know what I'm talkin' about, kid. The old man was right." Says Tanner. "Right about what?" Yanagi asks. "I used to be a pro. But I never dueled someone quite like you. You're good. So, ya got a name, newbie?" Asks Tanner. "It's Yusei." "Hey, gramps. I apologize for steppin' on your cards." Tanner says. "I hope you learned your lesson, Tanner. Now, take a look at these!" Says Yanagi. He shows them his cards. "Aren't they wonderful? You had me doubting their worth, but Yusei showed me how special they are!" Yanagi says. "My time in the spotlight is long gone, but I wanna do everything I can to get you to the world a' the pros. Whaddaya say? You interested?" Asks Tanner. He holds out a hand and Yusei takes it. "Very." Yusei says. They stand there for a moment, clasping hands. Yusei has made another new friend.

The silence is broken by a pair of guards, who have entered the arena at Yusei's back. "Alright, break it up, fellas. Let's go, eighty-eight. The chief would like to see you, now."

Tanner frowns, Yanagi looks worried and Yusei looks slightly dismayed. This can't be good.

Skylar on the other hand, knows this isn't good. Skylar's arm sign and back design both start to go dim and then finally go out. Only now, Skylar must figure out what plans the Chief has in store for Yusei or what Goodwin could have possibly told the Chief to do with Yusei, either way it's for sure something bad.

"Many centuries have passed since the Crimson Dragon sealed the Demon Lord and his forces beneath the Earth, but those forces continue to draw energy from mankind." Says Goodwin.

The desert landscape shifts to that of New Domino City at night, its lights sparkling in multicolored splendor and its knots of super-tall skyscrapers rising from the horizon, like jeweled crowns. "They feed off our sadness, our jealousy, our anger and our greed. Soon the Demon Lord's forces will gain more power than they ever have before. They will break the Dragon's seal, and return to pillage the Earth." Goodwin says. "That's bad." Says Jack. "On the day the Seal breaks and the Demon Lord resurrects, my order will be prepared to summon the Crimson Dragon and protect humanity! Only in order to do that we must find the Signers, those bearing the Mark of the Dragon, like you, and that Satellite, Yusei. One of these Signers has the Crimson Dragon within his or her soul, serving as the dragon's host. Only that person officially feels whatever the Crimson Dragon feels and possesses its ultimate power. We must find this one such Signer that the Crimson Dragon chose as its host, and you, along with the other Signers, must do everything in your power to aid him or her in battle, as well as protect him or her." Goodwin says. Jack rolls up his sleeve once more, the strange picture on his arm has now assumed a heavy significance. "So, I'm supposed to save the world. Why didn'tcha say so?" Says Jack, mildly.


	9. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8: Fire It Up**_

Yusei is walking down a hallway lined with cells, flanked by a pair of guards, each one gripping an arm. "So, how you likin' your stay here, Yusei?" "So far, so good." Yusei says. From his tone, he would rather answer that with a kick to the shins. "Well, that'll change soon enough." They stop, one of the guards pushes a pad on the wall and speaks into an intercom. "Chief Armstrong, we have the kid. Are you ready for 'im?" "Yes." Says Armstrong, via-intercom. The door opens, spilling harsh fluorescent light on Yusei and the guards. Yusei looks grim, this doesn't look good, but he won't show fear.

Back on the dueling court, prisoners mill around, including Tanner, his gang of thugs and Yanagi. People are gossiping and chattering amongst themselves. "...I can't believe Yusei won, and he didn't even attack once..." "...Yeah, that was amazing..."

Yanagi fans his precious treasure cards, then slips them into his vest, protectively. "I'd better hide you guys." Yanagi says.

"Gramps, is Yusei back? I'm startin' to worry about what the Chief wants 'im for." Says Tanner. "Oh, he's fine. It's just routine." Yanagi says. "It's not just routine. There are only two ways ya get to meet the Chief, you make a mean barbecue sauce, or he's mad. And Yusei may know how to duel like a pro, but I got a feeling he doesn't know squat about barbecue." Says Tanner.

"Hey, you two." Skylar says.

Both Yanagi and Tanner look up towards the bleachers.

Skylar is still sitting there, with one leg crossed over the other. Skylar then uncrosses her legs, stands up to her feet and walks down the bleachers.

"Dear child, who are you? They never let a girl in here. Especially, one so young." Says Yanagi.

Skylar makes her way down the bleachers and stops before him and Tanner. "Now, what do you want doll?" Tanner asks. "You two are friends with Mr. Yusei Fudo, right?" Asks Skylar. "Yeah, why do you ask?" Tanner asks. "Just curious. I saw you dueling Mr. Fudo and you were doing quite well." Says Skylar. "If you truly did see, you would've seen that I lost." Tanner says. "I'm aware, Bolt." Says Skylar. "Wait a minute, you do look familiar. Do I know you?" Tanner asks.

Two guards then show up. "Hey you two! You will not bother Miss. Alektra." "Do you both understand?"

"It is alright, boys!" Says Skylar.

"But, Miss. Alektra!"

"Just go run along to your boss, right now!" Skylar says.

"Yes, Ma'am!" The two guards leave as instructed.

"Now I know who you are." Says Tanner. "Good." Skylar says. "Who is she, Tanner?" Asks Yanagi. "Well gramps, she works for Director Goodwin." Tanner says. "I am Skylar Alektra. All I am is Goodwin's assistant really. I'm also his bodyguard and sort of his messenger. I help with… Jack Atlas." "You don't sound like you like Atlas." Says Tanner. "Truthfully, between us. I don't." Skylar says. "It doesn't sound like you like being Goodwin's assistant either. Wait, he has you as his bodyguard and your how old?" Asks Yanagi. "I don't, and I am eighteen." Skylar says. "So, why do it?" Asks Tanner. "I have a personal vendetta. Lets just put it at that." Skylar says. Yanagi then sees one of her healed scars go down her face and gasps. "Now, if you would excuse me. I have business to take care of. Good day, gentlemen." Says Skylar. She turns away and walks off.

"Tanner, did you see?" Yanagi asks. "Yeah, I did. I have a feeling Atlas did something to her and something bad." Says Tanner.

The guards are still holding Yusei, one on each arm and he's standing in the shadow of a huge, fat black man in a guard uniform, with the sleeves rolled up to the shoulders to accommodate his muscled arms. His thick black beard is rather pointy, angling back upward on each side. This is Chief Armstrong, the notorious warden of the Facility. "So how do you like the Facility so far, Yusei? I'm sure it smells better than what you're used to in the Satellite. As does my anchovy-and-onion breath, don'tcha think?" Armstrong asks. He breathes in Yusei's face and he winces. "Ugh..." Says Yusei. Armstrong walks around, taking over from one of the guards and pins his right arm behind his back, painfully. "Rumor has it that you might be hiding something, and it's my job to find out if you are." Armstrong says. He rolls up Yusei's sleeve and looks at his forearm, it's blank. Armstrong pushes Yusei, who falls into the waiting arms of a pair of lab coats. "Take 'im, you two! And run your tests." Says Armstrong. Yusei glares back over his shoulder, what are they going to do to him?! "Find out what this punk's hiding!" Armstrong says.

"Armstrong, be easy with him!" Says Skylar, yelling. She walks in. Yusei's eyes change from angered to calm when he sees her. "Easy?! This is the Facility, Miss. Alektra! We don't do easy here!" Armstrong says. "Director Goodwin told me to tell you to do so and surely you don't want to disobey an order from him, would you?!" Asks Skylar, firmly. "I'll not go easy on him!" Armstrong says. Skylar then walks up to the two men in lab coats. "Go easy on him or else." Says Skylar, firmly. "Yes, Ma'am!"

A short while later. "Just lie still, and don't move a muscle." Yusei is in his light-blue boxers, strapped to a table that slides under some kind of CAT scan machine. "Analyzing genetic makeup. DNA testing complete." The computer says. Yusei's table slides back out of the machine and tilts to a vertical position. Armstrong gets in Yusei's face. "Now, you better hope we find what we're supposed to find and soon. 'Cause if you make me miss lunch, you and I are gonna have big, big problems, Satellite. See, when my blood sugar level gets too low, I get cranky, angry and super-mean!" Says Armstrong. "Mr. Armstrong, hold your tongue!" Skylar says, firmly. She walks over to Yusei. "Leave us." Says Skylar. "Miss. Alektra, with all do respect. I am instructed by Mr. Goodwin to be by your side at all times. For your own safety." Armstrong says. "I can manage myself, now go!" Says Skylar, firmly. "You better watch your tone towards me or else!" Armstrong says. Skylar turns to face him. "Or else what, Armstrong?!" Asks Skylar. "Or else you're goin' to have another scar by the time I'm done with you, but it seems that you have a few already." Armstrong says. "Is that a threat or a promise?! You can't touch me under Goodwin's authority anyway!" Says Skylar. "Look, my instructions were to keep you safe from people like him!" Armstrong says. "Just do it!" Says Skylar, snapping. "Why you little...!" Armstrong says. He grabs Skylar by the upper arm and sort of tosses her into a few IV machines. The two officers then take a hold of Armstrong and take him outside the room, the two men in lab coats follow.

"Are you okay? He managed to throw you into those pretty hard." Says Yusei.

When Skylar got thrown into the IV machines, she ended up on the ground, but she isn't severely injured, just little scratches. "I'm alright. Sorry you had to see that, Mr. Fudo." Skylar says. She then gets herself up to her feet, faces Yusei and walks over to his side. "If you don't mind me asking. Why are you showing me so much kindness?" Asks Yusei. "You deserve kindness, Yusei." Skylar says. "Yeah? This Facility is sure showing me kindness." Says Yusei, sarcastically. "You don't deserve to be in here, Yusei." Skylar says. "What do you mean, Miss. Alektra?" Asks Yusei. "Doesn't matter what I mean and please, call me Skylar. You are here for the wrong reason and it is because of that mark." "I don't have it now." Yusei says. "I know, it will do that the first few times. It will appear and then it will disappear. Then after a while it will completely stay, forever." Says Skylar. "How do you know so much about that mark?" Yusei asks. "Well, I have had experience with these marks. Trust me." Says Skylar. "Well, you can trust me, Skylar." Yusei says. "I know, Yusei." Says Skylar.

In New Domino. Goodwin and Lazar are walking along a hallway. The outside wall is made of plate glass, showing a panoramic view of the New Domino skyline. Goodwin and Lazar turn a corner and head toward a doorway further into the building. "He's with him right now, though he hasn't found the Sign as of yet." Lazar says. "I doubt the Chief could find anything that wasn't lathered in a sweet honey glaze." Says Goodwin. "He's continuing to run all the normal tests, but with no results." Lazar says. He types on a digital keyboard. "Here's Yusei's file, Sir." Says Lazar. A picture of Yusei appears on the monitor screen in front of Goodwin, along with a dossier. "'Lives in the Satellite'... 'few run-ins with Sector Security'... 'Aptitudes include dueling, engineering'... Hmmph! There's nothing about who he is or where he came from!" Goodwin says. "We're... ahah, working on that as we speak, Mr. Goodwin. But you have to consider, he may not be as special as we hope he is." Says Lazar. "It's time I take a trip to the Facility. I need to observe this Satellite firsthand to see whether or not you're right." Goodwin says. "And shall I inform the Chief of your impending arrival?" Asks Lazar. "No, call Skylar and tell her to have the Chief send the boy back to his cell. I think I know of a better way to find the information I seek." Goodwin says. He has a slightly evil smile.

Nighttime, at the Facility. The guards dump Yusei back in his cell with Yanagi, it looks like they had to halfway carry him there. "Ugh!" Says Yusei. "Heh! Have a nice trip!"

"You look horrible! What did they do to you?!" Yanagi asks. Yusei manages to sit up next to him. "Nothing. Just ran some tests." Says Yusei. "Tests?!" Yanagi asks. "They must've been looking for a mark that appeared on my arm when that dragon showed up at the Kaibadome." Says Yusei. "They're looking for the Mark of the Dragon!" Yanagi says. He realizes he's talking too loud and claps both hands over his mouth.

A guard hears something and peers into their cell.

They wait until they hear his footsteps walking away. "You must be a Signer, Yusei!" Says Yanagi, whispering. "Signer?" Yusei asks. "I heard about them long ago. I thought the whole thing was just a legend. But now, the tale of the People of the Stars may actually be true! Ya see, long ago there was a tribe. They were brave and they worshiped a Crimson Dragon. And some could even summon the beast. They're called 'Signers'." Says Yanagi.

As he speaks, a vision of six human silhouettes, each one's right arm shining red. Above them loom six silhouetted dragons, each with eyes glowing gold. Above them all, the Crimson Dragon shines like a star. "There were six such warriors, and each one the Mark of a different Dragon that they could call forth to aid them in battle." Yanagi says, in voice-over. The vision ends.

Back to the present. "Also legend says that one of the six signers would be the host to protect the Crimson Dragon, while it would end up protecting that person in return. But if one of the other Signers has evil in his or her heart and want the power for themselves, then they'll purposely and painfully make all the marks appear upon that person. It's actually a great honor for that person, but also very painful. I heard it feels like something is trying to rip out of you and they would collapse if they couldn't stand it, but sometimes the person who holds the Crimson Dragon don't seem to make it very well. They'll end up in a comatose state sometimes or worse they could even lose their very life as legend says. Yusei! Don't you see, you're one of them!" Says Yanagi. "Me, a Signer?" Yusei asks.

Flashback. Jack's Red Dragon Archfiend breathes fire, Yusei's Stardust Dragon answers with shimmering silver mist and Cynder the Black Dragon answered back, attacking both of them. The two blasts collide halfway between the dragons and a sparkling red dragon emerges, soaring out into the sky beyond the duel, spreading its skeletal wings and bellowing an eerie cry. "So you think that I actually called out this Crimson Dragon?" Asks Yusei, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "That's exactly what I think, and as legend would have it, the mystical powers of the six dragons were eventually sealed into six different duel monster cards. Which means that you…" Yanagi says. He gasps. "Yusei, you must have one!" Says Yanagi. "One of the ancient dragons? I'm not so sure..." Yusei says. "What?! Well, I've never been so sure of anything in my entire life! You'll let me see it, won't you?" Asks Yanagi. "I don't have it." Yusei says. "Aaagh! You don't have it? Just as well... eh, in here, it would probably be confiscated. But why does the Chief even think that you're a Signer in the first place, huh? Unless someone told him..." Says Yanagi.

Jack flips the top card of his deck, Red Dragon Archfiend. Jack's sitting on the couch in his New Domino apartment late at night, staring at the card. All the lights are off, the only light in the room comes from the night sky through the huge windows. _"There's no way a loser like me could be a Signer. How does Goodwin expect me to save the world when I can't even save myself from losing to the likes of Yusei?"_ Jack thinks to himself.

"Mr. Atlas?" Minako asks. "Whatta you want?" Asks Jack. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt, but... um, y'see, I've got a breakdown for tomorrow's duel." Minako says. "I won't be needing it, Minako." Says Jack. He stands up, holding Archfiend in one hand. "Because I'm not dueling anyone until Yusei gets out! My rank means nothing anymore, because he beat me! Me! And until we have a rematch, I'm throwing in my cards!" Jack says. He throws Archfiend back onto the coffee table, in a dramatic gesture. Minako seems to shrink. "But Mr. Atlas, you have a contractual responsibility to your sponsors…" Says Minako. "You think I care?! I duel for me, not some fat cat holding a checkbook!" Jack says. Minako is speechless, she's afraid to speak, but also sympathetic for his frustration and confusion. Jack groans and turns away, walking to the giant window. "Don't you realize that dueling is more than just paydays and trophies?" Asks Jack. He looks up at the sky. A beautiful, bright, silvery crescent moon is visible between a few filmy clouds, with stars sparkling around it. "Funny, the only one who understands is Yusei." Jack says.

Yanagi is snoring, softly.

While Yusei lies awake, staring at the ceiling. Yusei holds up his bare right arm, it's still completely blank. _"I wonder if Yanagi really knows what he's talking about. Do I really have the Mark of the Crimson Dragon? Is everyone mistaking me for maybe Skylar? What if she is the one everyone's looking for, but_ _what if her and I have to maybe work together?" _Yusei thinks to himself.

"Can't sleep, Yusei?" Asks Skylar.

"Huh? Who's there?" Yusei asks.

"Relax, it is only me." Says Skylar. She is soon revealed from out of the darkness of the night.

Skylar then sits down on the side of Yusei's bed, near his legs. "Skylar? But how did you get in here without being seen?" Yusei asks. "You know your friend over there is right." Says Skylar. When her eyes turn to Yusei, he can tell that something is troubling her. "Really?" Yusei asks. "Come with me, Yusei." Says Skylar. She then gets up from the side of Yusei's bed and starts walking away from where she came from.

Yusei gets out of bed, grabs his jacket and follows after Skylar.

Skylar and Yusei soon end up on a side balcony, that is completely hidden to anyone else. Its a bit cramped, so they have to stay crouched down. They end up stopping at a point. "Where are we?" Yusei asks. "Shh, keep your voice down when you talk." Says Skylar. "Sorry. Can you answer the question?" Yusei asks. "We are at a hidden side balcony. No other person besides your friend Bolt Tanner knows about this place, so he told me about it." Says Skylar. "So, why did you bring me here?" Yusei asks. "Goodwin's coming tomorrow and he's going to ask for you. And all you need to do is to not give him any information of what you know. Just tell him that you don't want anything to do with his offer and I shall have you out of here soon enough, or he will anyway." Says Skylar. "Why are you helping me like this? Won't you get in trouble with Goodwin?" Yusei asks. "Not at all, and what he doesn't know won't hurt him. Now, you need to get some sleep for tomorrow." Says Skylar. She then starts to walk away. Yusei suddenly grabs Skylar by the wrist. "Wait." Yusei says. Skylar looks into his royal blue eyes. "Your eyes look so familiar. I don't know why, but they just do." Says Yusei. "Maybe a friend of yours might have had almost the same. Now, you must let me go." Skylar says. "Wait, your voice is starting to sound familiar, too." Says Yusei. "Yusei, please. I have never met you before, so just let me go and follow the plan for tomorrow." Skylar says. She breaks free of Yusei's grip. "Skylar." Says Yusei. He tries to reach for Skylar again, only this time she turns to him and faces him. "Please, Yusei. Don't." Skylar says. "Skylar, can you at least let me see the rest of your face hiding behind the mask? I promise, I won't say anything." Says Yusei. "Eventually, I shall show you. Just not now, Yusei." Skylar says. She then starts walking away again and Yusei reaches for her again. Only this time, Skylar's foot slides to the side and she slips off of the side.

But thankfully, Yusei is lucky enough to grab Skylar's hand and she stops falling, but during this, her ribs ended up hitting the side of the balcony, hard. "Skylar, are you okay?" Asks Yusei. Skylar is silent. "Come on Skylar, you have to pull yourself up and I'll pull you the rest of the way." Yusei says. "Yusei, I can't." Says Skylar. Yusei then tilts himself a bit off of the side, still holding onto her hand. Yusei suddenly lets himself fall, but has his free hand holding the railing leg. "Skylar, I'll pull you up to my waist and then you have to get up to my chest and hold on from there." Yusei says. He helps Skylar get to his waist and she grabs onto him. Skylar then pulls herself up to his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck and half of his chest. Yusei puts his arm around Skylar's shoulder-blades, pulling her closer to him and pulls himself up halfway. When he grabs the actual rail, Yusei pulls himself onto the edge of the balcony, while still holding onto Skylar.

Skylar pulls herself off of Yusei and to the side of him. Yusei looks over at where Skylar is lying and then down to her ribs, which has become a darker spot of color than it should be. Yusei gets up and crawls over to Skylar, places his hand where the spot is. Skylar doesn't move when Yusei touches it, but she is still breathing.

Yusei's about to carry her, but Skylar moves her hand and touches his hand to stop him from doing so. "I'm alright, Yusei." Says Skylar. Yusei then helps her to sit up. "Well, you can't just let it bleed." Yusei says. "I'm not. I will just sneak into the infirmary and bandage up my ribs." Says Skylar. Yusei helps her up to her feet and lets her go. "Well, good luck." Yusei says. "Just worry about the plan tomorrow and thank you, Yusei." Says Skylar.

Morning. "Zip it, everybody!" Armstrong says, yelling. This might be the same large room that was used as a duel arena the previous day. Armstrong is standing off to the side, while Goodwin, in his usual nondescript gray suit, is standing at a grand-looking podium.

The inmates of the Facility are assembled, standing in neat rows, including Yusei, who's standing next to Yanagi and in front of Tanner.

Skylar is walking through the crowd of inmates. As she does, most of the inmates know that she works for Goodwin, but they still try getting Skylar's attention anyway. Skylar ignores their disturbing comments and whistling. Skylar stops when she reaches where Yusei is standing. Yusei glances over at Skylar, knowing that she's right there. Then in order to get the inmates to quiet down, Skylar removes the whip from her side, makes the whip uncoil and then with all her strength, she whacks it against the hard floor, making all the inmates become silent. Now they know the circumstances if they get out of line again, someone's going to get whipped, possibly severely.

"Good, now that I have your undivided attention, allow me to introduce the Director-General himself, Mr. Rex Goodwin! He's here to shed some light on a new program that he'll be implementing here at the Facility over the next few weeks. We're hoping that someone here has the mark of a champion." Says Armstrong.

Yusei gasps, slightly, Yanagi glances over at him, nervously, and Tanner scowls up at Goodwin.

At the same time, it's a bright, sunny morning at the Kaibadome. A single card rotates on the Sphere and spotlights play across the ground from all angles. The announcer is in his usual bright pink suit-coat with tails, orange bow-tie and crazy hairdo, he'd also make a good wacky game show host. "Duelists young and old, professional and amateur alike, we-e-lcome to the Kaibadome! Now let's get ready to rev things up!" The announcer says.

Backstage in a waiting room, Jack is already in his riding suit, adjusting his gloves. Minako stands off to the side, meekly. "We've got an unprecedented rematch today, so stay tuned!" Says the announcer, via-screen. "Mr. Atlas, if it means anything, you've made the right choice to duel today. Now, let's put all this Yusei business behind us and move on." Minako says. Jack turns and glares at her, she steps back. Jack's cracking his knuckles and wringing his hands, in a slight show of nerves. "I'll move on when I'm good n' ready." Says Jack. "Of course, I only meant that you…" Minako says. "Save it, Minako. I have a duel to prepare for." Says Jack. He reaches down to the table and places a hand on his deck. Jack stands up, his face back lit from above by the ceiling lights. _"'Cause the last thing anyone would want is for me to lose again." _Jack thinks to himself.

"Alright! Now let's give it up, for the one, the only… Hunter Pace!" The announcer says.

Hunter explodes from a doorway into the arena on his runner, a black hog with two big exhaust pipes. Hunter Pace is a tough-guy in the convention of a stereotypical present-day motorcyclist, black leather jacket with spikes and flames on the shoulders and sleeves, spiky knees and a skull-shaped pendant around his neck. "Come out, come out, Jack Atlas! It's your old friend, and Hunter Pace has got a score to settle… I'm winnin' my title back, pretty-boy!" Hunter skids to a stop on the track, having made his grand entrance.

Jack puts a foot on the footrest on his runner, places his duel disk in its slot, slots his deck and turns on the screen of his runner. The readouts on the screen reflect across his visor, uplighting Jack's face, he looks deadly serious.

"And now, please welcome the undefeated, undisputed duel champion of the world…" Says the announcer.

The roving spotlights triangulate onto a doorway into the stadium. Jets of dramatic smoke shoot up from the ground and through the steam Jack shoots into the air on his runner, soaring into the stadium straight through the center of the spotlights. On the Sphere behind Jack is a close-up of him on his runner, on top of another image of half his face.

"…the Master of Faster, the one, the only Jack Atlas!" The announcer says.

Jack hits the pavement and his engines kick in, rocketing him forward in a magnificent blast of turquoise light. Jack shouts his usual catchphrase to the roaring crowd, but without his usual prideful enthusiasm. The crowd is just as psyched. "What say we kick this turbo-duel into overdrive!" Says Jack.

"Does Jack Atlas have the moves that matter to take down Hunter Pace's new deck? The word on the circuit is that it's powerful, it's mean and it's hotter than hot!" The announcer says.

Jack comes to a halt at the starting blocks, next to Hunter, who glances over, then looks ahead. _"If everyone here wants a show, then I'll give them a show." _Jack thinks to himself.

"Go Jack! Go Jack! Go Jack!" The cheerleaders say, cheering.

Jack sees the stadium almost from within a bubble, deaf to the cheers. The stadium is in darkness and a single follow-spot is shining on the two runners. The whole scene seems a bit too perfect, too grandiose to be real. _"Go on, cheer. Scream your lungs out. Buy season tickets. Crowd around your televisions to witness this deceit! Huh. It's all a waste. You came to see a champion? Well, he's stuck in a cell somewhere. But if you want a show, step right up… I'm the all-singing, all-dancing runner-up of New Domino City!" _Jack thinks to himself.

Minako walks into the stadium behind the uppermost bleachers, looking worried.

"Jack Atlas and Hunter Pace are at the starting blocks! Now, let's make some noise, New Domino! Are you ready to turbo-duel?! I think it's finally time to get things started, don't you?" Asks the announcer.

"I'll fire things up!" Jack says. He presses the rightmost of three buttons below his screen.

Hunter's screen shows 'Speed World' in perfect sync with Jack's. "Duel mode engaged. Autopilot standing by." Says the computer.

The 'Speed World' field spreads from the two runners in a bright purple wave, creating an artificial daylight, turning the dark track bright gray-blue. A holographic countdown appears above the track in front of them. "Turbo-duelists, countdown initiated..." The computer says. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four... Hunter and Jack each start with 4000 lifepoints. Hunter looks grim, Jack seems slightly bored. The silence just before the race seems to stretch. "Ready, set, duel." Says the computer. Both runners are off the mark, their tires sparking.

Despite the fact that Jack started slightly behind, he quickly pulls ahead. "Hey, Hunter! Watch this! Dark Resonator, put up the Big D!" Jack says. Dark Resonator has 1300 attack points, 300 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is a dark type monster.

Dark Resonator is a dark-attribute fiend-type tuner monster that cannot be destroyed in battle once a turn.

"Jack Atlas is off to as strong a start as I have ever seen! I think he's trying to let Hunter Pace know that this title is his, and his alone!" Says the announcer.

"Huh! So is that supposed to scare me?" Hunter asks.

"No, but these two face downs should do the trick!" Says Jack.

"Hunter had better be careful, or one of those face downs could lead to an early exit for the former champ!" The announcer says.

Compared to the lights of the stadium, the dingy, tan assembly room at the Facility looks rather plain. Goodwin makes his speech to the assembled crowd of prisoners, based on counting heads in the front row and counting rows, we're looking at over three-hundred Facility inmates. "Good morning, everyone. If you will allow me a few moments of your time, I will explain the details of the pilot program that Chief Armstrong mentioned earlier." Says Goodwin.

Among the crowd, Yusei, Tanner, Yanagi and the cronies are listening, with stony faces. Around them, some unusual dye marks, including a slit-shaped mark that crosses one's nose, one that crosses an eye and two horizontal rectangles on a guy's forehead.

Goodwin steps down from his podium and walks to the floor, as he addresses them. "I'm sure that many of you feel that you have been dealt a bad hand in life. But I hope to change that." Goodwin says. He walks up the center aisle between impeccable lines of disheveled-looking inmates standing at attention. "In fact, for one person here, new opportunities are a handshake away. Your experiences in life could be of great service to the City." Says Goodwin. Everyone stands a little straighter and pays attention at this. "And that is why I've decided to select one of you to take under my wing." Goodwin says. He stops walking when he reaches where Skylar is standing, a few feet away from Yusei, who happens to be standing on the aisle. Tanner and Yanagi are staring at Goodwin, but Yusei ignores him and stares straight ahead. "And should that person prove himself helpful to me and the City, then I will be more than happy to return the favor." Says Goodwin. Yusei looks at him, incredulous and suspicious. "Like, say, a full pardon, for example. A clean record. Perhaps, even an invite to live here in New Domino City." Goodwin says. He looks right at Yusei. "And now it's just a matter of picking one of you here to come and assist me." Says Goodwin. Yusei scowls, he sees exactly where this is going.

At the Kaibadome, the pro match between Jack and Hunter races onward. "Don't go losin' your cool, Jack, okay? 'Cause now it's my turn, and I'm plannin' on turning up the heat in this place, champ! Startin' with Skull Conductor!" Hunter says. Skull Conductor has 2000 attack points, is a level 4 monster and is a dark type monster. "See, losin' to you last time caused me a lot a' pain, but that was nothin' compared to the agony that this monster card is about to orchestrate! Because as soon as I send ol' bony here to the graveyard, I can summon out two zombie-type monsters who're just dyin' to burn up some a' your lifepoints! Huhhahahahah! Say hello to my two Burnin' Skull Heads!" Says Hunter. Burning Skull Head has 800 attack points.

"And it looks like Hunter Pace is going all-out to make sure this duel doesn't end up like their last rematch!" The announcer says.

"They say that two heads're better than one, and I couldn't agree more! Especially since you lose a thousand lifepoints for each Skull Head I have on the field! Looks like I'm halfway to my victory lap, doesn't it, Jack?!" Asks Hunter.

The audience gasps, dismayed and worried. A teenage boy in the front row even calls out… "…Jack!"

"Oh, dear! I can't bear to watch this unfold!" The announcer says.

"Well then keep your eyes covered, 'cause there's a lot more to come! Now I'll start by releasing my Burnin' Skull Heads in order to summon Skull Flame!" Says Hunter. Skull Flame has 2600 attack points.

"Hunter Pace certainly has brought his A-game with him today, folks! And it looks like he's gonna do everything in his power to make Jack sweat this one out! Now let's see what he's gonna fire up next!" The announcer says.

"Well this should send a signal to the world that Jack's number-one rank is about to go up in smoke!" Says Hunter. Burning Skull Head has 800 attack points.

"Another Burning Skull Head?! Something tells me Hunter's got a bone to pick with Jack Atlas!" The announcer says. "Burning Skull Head! Attack!" Says Hunter.

Jack gets blasted again and he's down to 1000 lifepoints already.

"Our champ's down to his last thousand lifepoints! It seems like we might all be witnessing Jack Atlas's undefeated streak come to an end!" The announcer says.

"Hear that, Atlas? Sounds to me like your fans've already chalked this one up as a loss fer you! Hahah! And so have I! Because I've got a little surprise waitin' forya next turn… I get to summon another Burnin' Skull Head. That means a thousand less lifepoints for you, and a championship title for me! Ahaha! Don't look so glum, Jack. If you ever miss your title, feel free to contact my agent for a rematch. I'm sure he'll be able to fit you in, in a year or two! When you took my title, I lost my sponsors, my paychecks, my house and all my fans! They say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but m' Burnin' Skulls think heatin' it up works just fine!" Says Hunter.

"It all comes down to this last turn. If Jack can't stop Hunter, he's finished." The announcer says.

_"Hunter's no Yusei. He's the same sort of trash I always beat, and it's about time I take out the garbage!"_ Jack thinks to himself. He races ahead, with Hunter chasing close behind. The sun shines above in the 'Speed-World'-purple sky.

At the Facility. "Listen up! Everybody, back to your cells immediately! The Director's made his decision!" Says Armstrong.

Goodwin is standing atop his podium.

Armstrong's standing below him, enforcing order from the center of the room.

Skylar is walking away from where the inmates were standing before, still wrapping her whip back in place.

A guard is leading a clump of prisoners out of the room. Yusei, Tanner and Yanagi start to follow. "...Come on, move it..."

"Hold it right there, Yusei! You're the one the Director has chosen." Armstrong says.

"Careful, Yusei." Says Tanner, aside to Yusei. Yusei nods, mutely. Tanner and Yanagi follow the other inmates, reluctantly, leaving Yusei alone.

Skylar is then standing next to Yusei. Skylar's already placed the whip back to her hip where it belongs and leads Yusei over to Goodwin, a hand against his upper back, between his shoulder-blades. Yusei can tell Skylar's reluctant to go full force, but this must be protocol for her.

Goodwin and Armstrong approach them. "So tell me, Mr. Fudo, what do you think about the little experiment that I proposed?" Goodwin asks. "I don't want any part of it." Says Yusei, with stubborn contempt. He knows that Goodwin's attempting to buy him off, just like Skylar had said. "You'll take part and you'll like it, you insol…" Armstrong says. Goodwin holds out a hand to stop him and leaves a moment's pause before speaking. "Oh come now, Yusei. I know you want some answers." Says Goodwin, kindly and condescendingly. "Huh? What kind of answers, Goodwin? What do you mean?" Yusei asks. "Don't act so coy, Yusei. I know all about that Mark of the Dragon that appeared on your arm." Says Goodwin. "Really? Then tell me what you know about it. What does it mean?" Yusei asks. "That is what I'm hoping to uncover with your help. I can't do it alone." Says Goodwin. "Well I don't believe you. You're hiding something. You're just gonna use me." Yusei says. "Of course. We all use each other! Look at our City, the Satellite needs the trash that we give them, and they recycle it for energy and heat that we in turn use, Yusei!" Says Goodwin. "It's not trash that we need. It's freedom." Yusei says. "Fine, it's yours." Says Goodwin. "Oh, yeah? For what?" Yusei asks.

Goodwin turns away, hands clasped behind his back and he watches him. "Skylar, teach this Satellite some respect." Says Goodwin.

Skylar seems hesitant, but she must do what he instructs her to do. Skylar tightens her grip on Yusei and pins his arm behind his back, painfully. Yusei winces, painfully.

"Just come with me so I can study your Mark of the Dragon. Together, we may be able to unlock the secrets of the Signers! But say no, and well, without that knowledge we have a special place to send you to. And then who knows what might happen to you once you get there!" Goodwin says, viciously.

Yusei turns, that doesn't sound good. "Whaddaya mean?" Asks Yusei.

"Well, here in the Facility anything is possible." Goodwin says.

"I'll take my chances." Says Yusei, stubbornly.

"Yes, you will!" Goodwin says.

At the Kaibadome. "We're back! And Jack Atlas has this one chance to stay undefeated!" Says the announcer.

Jack circles back on his runner, riding the opposite direction toward Hunter. "Enough warmup! It's time I kick this duel into overdrive! And I'll start by summoning out Big Piece Golem!" Jack says. Big Piece Golem has 2100 attack points.

"What's this? It appears Jack is going for a face down!" Says the announcer.

"You wanna face down? How 'bout I blastcha off your runner!" Hunter says.

"Funny, Hunter, but he who laughs last, laughs best! And my 'Revival Gift' trap should have me laughing all the way to victory, since I can now summon a Tuner monster from my graveyard! Next I bring out Dark Resonator!" Says Jack.

"Wait! What's happening now?" The announcer asks.

Two kinda freaky-looking token monsters have appeared on Hunter's field, with 1500 defense points each. "Why don't you tell me, pal?" Asks Hunter, nonplussed.

"That's a special effect of the trap 'Revival Gift'! Hunter gets two monster tokens on his field, and who knows what those two have planned. Ah! Is Jack going to come back? Will he overcome certain defeat, will he retain his title as champion? Will he kick it into overdrive?" The announcer asks.

"Well let's find out, shall we! Resonator, time to upgrade our Golem! And with him on my field, I can summon Red Dragon Archfiend!" Says Jack. Red Dragon Archfiend has 3000 attack points.

"Talk about saving the best for last! Jack Atlas unleashes his most powerful monster! Now, let's get fired up!" The announcer says.

The crowd is in awe, as Archfiend takes the field.

"This isn't good..." Says Hunter, through his teeth.

"Archfiend, attack!" Jack says.

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt! Hunter's Skull Head is dust, or should I say smoke! And the tokens too! Archfiend's just gettin' warmed up! Wow! Now that's what I call a special ability! As soon as it destroys any monster in defense, all the others get a one-way ticket to the graveyard!" Says the announcer.

Jack turns again and continues riding the other way.

At this point, Hunter is in front of him and he's keeping on him by chasing behind.

They're both riding counterclockwise on the track.

"Now I'll play my trap… 'Lineage of Destruction'!" Jack says.

With 'Lineage of Destruction', the number of times your monster can attack is equal to the number of your opponent's monsters destroyed while in defense mode.

"And it appears Jack has played this match with the skill and poise of the true champion that he is! And it seems Red Dragon Archfiend is ready to finish things off!" Says the announcer.

"Hunter, hope by now you learned not to play with fire… 'cause your career's about to go up in flames again!" Jack says.

"Is it too late to say sorry? Please!" Says Hunter.

"Go ahead, while I guarantee it won't help ya against him! Attack! Red Dragon Archfiend! Show no mercy!" Jack says.

"Agh!" Hunter screams. Archfiend destroys Skull Flame with a claw full of fire, he's down to 3600 lifepoints. Archfiend then sets its sights on Hunter.

"Why don'tcha look on the bright side of this, Hunter? You may lose, but at least it makes for great television!" Says Jack.

"Huuugggh, nice li'l dragon. You don't really wanna attack me, do ya?" Hunter asks. Archfiend does. It blasts Hunter down to 600 lifepoints, with a huge stream of fire.

"Flame on! Hunter Pace is down to his last six hundred points!" Says the announcer.

"Don't feel too bad, you're just a warmup. Once we're finished, I've got a rematch with an old friend of mine. So, thanks for the practice!" Jack says.

"Huh?" Asks Hunter.

"It's time to lose a third time! Archfiend, end this!" Jack says.

Hunter is riding through a world of orange flames. When Hunter skids free, he spins a few times before coming to a halt. Steam gushes from vents on either side of his front wheel.

Jack glides to a halt nearby, still forbiddingly serious, even spiteful. "They say that three time's a charm, Hunter, but I have a feeling that your sponsors won't see it that way. Maybe you'd be better off changing brake pads for a living!" Says Jack.

"Jack Atlas wins! In a duel that's sure to go down in history, Jack turns certain defeat into victory over former champ Hunter Pace!" The announcer says.

Jack rides to the center of the track and stands up, taking off his helmet and raising a fist to the sky. Jack's microphone echoes. "Who's the Master of Faster!? Who rules the duels?! That's right, it's me! Jack Atlas!" Despite this triumphant pronouncement, Jack's expression is sour and angry. _"And the next time I meet Yusei Fudo, I'll prove it, once and for all!" _Jack thinks to himself.


	10. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9: The Lockdown Duel: Part 1**_

The doorway at the end of the grey hallway streams harsh white light. Two guards are escorting Yusei down this hallway, through this door and out onto a railed catwalk. The higher stories of the central area, connected by walkways that crisscross through the wide-open center. Yusei isn't struggling, but doesn't look too happy, each guard has a tight grip on one of his arms. "Welcome to your new home-sweet-home. We call it 'the Hive'." The three stop walking and look around. "…This is where Chief Armstrong likes to house the worst of the worst." The other prisoners indeed look mean, glaring sourly over railings as they eye this newcomer. One of the guards shoves Yusei forward and he stumbles out onto the walkway, alone, while on the walkways above, dozens of tough-looking Hive inmates watch him pass. "Come on… keep walkin'. Hmph!"

Above all of them, Armstrong is watching the scene play out. "Ehehhahahahahahahah! This should be fun. Hope you have a pleasant stay! The Director-General sends his regards!" Armstrong says, tauntingly.

Yusei glares back at him.

A short time later, a cell door opens and Yusei walks inside before the guards can shove him. "…Get in there! Don't expect a mint on your pillow!" The other guard guffaws and the door slams.

"Aw, maaaan. And I was just getting used to being on my own!" Yusei is being addressed by his new roommate, a young man with purple hair. He has a small tracking dye mark under his left eye. "Say, uh, if it's not too much trouble, take the top bunk, wouldja? I used to crash up there, but I kept rolling over in my sleep and falling off the edge. The name's Alex, and I'd really appreciate if ya… huh?"

Yusei ignores Alex and climbs to the top bunk, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling.

"No arguments-nice! Yusei, right? My last roommate was named 'Skelter' or something. I dunno, he wasn't much of a talker. I like talking…" Says Alex.

Yusei isn't listening, he's lost in thought.

Flashback. Stardust Dragon, Red Dragon Archfiend and Cynder the Black Dragon are tiny compared to the massive sparkling red Crimson Dragon, crackling with blue sparks, wreathed in white-yellow light. It raises its shimmering head and emits a strange, musical cry._ "Was I really able to bring out the Crimson Dragon?"_ Yusei thinks to himself, in voice-over. The Crimson Dragon spreads its wings over the Kaibadome, shining brighter and brighter, like a star, and then evaporates, leaving a rain of glittering red mist. _"I mean, it came out of nowhere. And then it just disappeared!" _Yusei thinks to himself, in voice-over. Down on the dark, dusty track, Yusei looks at his bare right arm, sleeve rolled up, at the red Mark shining on his skin. _"And that Mark on my arm. Could Yanagi be right like Skylar said?" _Yusei thinks to himself, in voice-over.

The flashback changes. Yanagi leans toward Yusei's ear. "You must be a Signer, Yusei!" Yanagi says, trembling, with suppressed excitement. "Signer?" Asks Yusei. "I heard about them long ago! I thought the whole thing was just a legend, but now, the tale of the People of the Stars may actually be true!" Yanagi says. Yusei is silent. "Y'see long ago there was a tribe. They were brave and they worshiped a Crimson Dragon. And some could even summon the beast. They're called Signers." Says Yanagi. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Alex has been babbling this entire time and continues under Yusei's next thought. "...And I named it after my first dog, but whatever." Alex says.

_"But why me? And why now?" _Yusei thinks to himself.

Alex climbs up and stands over him. "Hey, is it true, what they're saying about you?" Asks Alex. "What're they saying?" Yusei asks. "Lots! That you stood up to Tanner in a duel and that you royally schooled him, that's awesome! I challenged Tanner once, after he and his buddies sorta, well they locked me in a laundry room for two days. But, yeah, it was kinda funny, 'cause tha…" Says Alex. "I have a headache, Alex. Can we save the chitchat for later?" Yusei asks. It's a pretty obvious excuse and Alex is a bit disappointed at being rebuffed, but wants to be considerate. "Sure, okay." Says Alex.

"Psst! Hey, Yusei!"

Alex turns and Yusei sits up. To Yusei's surprise, Yanagi is on the other side of the bars. "Huh? They brought you here?" Yusei asks.

He and Yanagi soon meet up with Tanner on one of the walkways. "You here too, Tanner?" Asks Yusei. "How areya, kid. Glad to see you made it here in one piece." Tanner says. "I hate to interrupt, but does anyone know what we're doing here? This is the long-term maximum security zone! This must've been a paperwork error, I was at the top of the release list!" Says Yanagi. "Hey, you and me both, grandpa." Tanner says. "What's going on, Yusei? You know what this is about?" Asks Yanagi. "What did they tell you, when they brought you here, Tanner?" Yusei asks. "Oh, you know. Some nonsense about needing to re-structure the system, blah, blah, blah. I don't believe a thing they say." Says Tanner.

"I wouldn't believe them if I were you either, Tanner."

They all look towards the person who said it. "Skylar." Yusei says.

Skylar walks up to them and Yanagi hides behind him. Skylar stops when she reaches Tanner's side. Yusei can instantly tell that something's troubling her once again. "Hello, Bolt, Yanagi." Says Skylar. "What brings you all the way up here?" Tanner asks. "Oh you know, all business working under Goodwin." Says Skylar. "You know, you pack quite a bit of strength in those arms of yours!" Tanner says. Skylar's emerald green eyes right a way glance over at him. "What exactly are you implying, Bolt?" Asks Skylar. "What? Are you going to attack me with that whip of yours now?" Tanner asks. "Tanner!" Says Yusei. Tanner looks over at him. "She's with me, she's kinda been helping me out ever since I got here." Yusei says. "I apologize for criticizing you then doll." Says Tanner. "It is alright, there is no need to apologize." Skylar says. Her eyes then return back to Yusei. "So Skylar, do you know something or anything about this arrangement?" Asks Yusei. "Indeed, and I say that I don't like it or go along with it!" Skylar says. "What exactly is going on?" Asks Yusei. "It is a test of Goodwin's. He's trying to find out if someone dueling you can bring out that mark that they think you have." Skylar says. "So, Goodwin's got something up his sleeve." Says Tanner. "But, what does any of this have to do with us two?" Yanagi asks, as he comes out of hiding and confronts Skylar. "It is because you two have befriended Yusei and now they think that you two could be bait for him. If something happens to either one of you. So be aware, both of you." Says Skylar. "Thanks, Skylar." Tanner says. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, dear child. What exactly happened to you? 'Cause, I can see healed up scars in certain places." Says Yanagi. "Gramps!" Tanner says, shouting. "It is alright, Tanner." Says Skylar. She then faces Yanagi. "I was in a horrible accident a few years ago and it messed me up pretty badly." Skylar says. "What kind of accident?" Asks Yusei. "It was a duel runner accident. I acted very stupidly and now I'm stuck like this, forever." Skylar says. "I feel sorry for you, doll. And you're only what, eighteen? And this happened to you." Says Tanner. "This happened when I was only fifteen. It was three years ago, but it all healed well. The only thing is, I suffered amnesia due to it." Skylar says. "So, you can't remember anything before the accident." Asks Yusei. "Actually, now I can remember everything since a couple of nights ago. When I first met you, Yusei. That is why I showed you kindness when they were doing tests on you." Skylar says. "So, all it left was scars from the incident." Says Tanner. "These are the scars from the surgery that was done. Thing is, they said I shouldn't of made it through the night." Skylar says. "What?!" Asks Yusei. "They said because of all the blood I had lost and where all the damage was done, I should have died that night is what they said. They were actually surprised and shocked that I had woken up and survived the next morning." Skylar says. Tanner touches her shoulder, out of sympathy. Yanagi touches Skylar's hand, bringing her attention to him. "Well, what's happened in the past is done and you survived through it. I mean, you're here breathing and standing right now, dear child." Says Yanagi. "Gramps is right, doll. And if someone does something to you or tries, we'll be there to settle it." Tanner says. "I thank you guys for your generosity and your concerns." Says Skylar. Yanagi then releases her hand and Tanner takes his hand off of her shoulder. "So, whaddaya know about the guy who's in charge here?" Yusei asks. "Armstrong's a bully. He does whatever he wants. He's a tyrant. He lies, and when he's got a bone to pick, he'll do anything to pick it. Why d'ya ask, kid? Did you go and do somethin' to get on that gordo's bad side? Are we here 'cause a' you?" Asks Tanner. "Not to mention, he defies half of Goodwin's rules. The Chief of the Facility must treat the inmates that are locked up in here like individuals and treat them as if this place is their home. He does none of that as you have all clearly seen first hand. He has no respect for women at all either." Skylar says. "I saw, I've seen the way he's treated you. So if anything horrible would end up happening to you in here, then…" Says Yusei. "Armstrong could care less what happens to me in here. The guards are probably more concerned for my safety than him. The only time he ever really acts like he cares is around… well, you know clearly who." Skylar says.

In an office somewhere in the Facility, Armstrong is in a particularly bad mood. "Aaaagh! There's no way that kid's a Signer! No way! He's a worthless little punk from the Satellite, that's all he is! I know garbage when I see it." Says Armstrong.

Flashback. "If he's a Signer, I'm a schoolgirl!" Armstrong says. He, Goodwin and Skylar are in an office somewhere. Goodwin is standing by the desk, his back turned. Skylar is leaning against the wall at Goodwin's shoulder, her arms folded across her chest and her right leg is crossed in front of her left. Armstrong is clearly agitated. "You looked everywhere for the Mark of the Dragon?" Asks Goodwin. "Yes, everywhere!" Armstrong says. Goodwin turns halfway. "Well then perhaps we need to challenge Yusei to a duel of some sort." Says Goodwin. "I'll take that piece of garbage on right now!" Armstrong says. Goodwin turns all the way toward him and looks straight at him. "Armstrong, we need Yusei to want to duel you. Perhaps that is the key to making his mark reappear. You must arrange a situation where that Satellite will want to duel." Says Goodwin. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Armstrong's attitude toward Yusei hasn't improved and now he has a nasty plan. "I know just what to do!" Armstrong says.

A bright full moon can be seen above New Domino City. The Facility complex actually looks small beside the massive skyscrapers that surround it. The Facility is built such that the streets and sidewalks above double as its surrounding walls. A guard's voice somewhere inside is heard… "…A'right, fellas, it's lockdown time! Sweet dreams!" With that, piercing searchlights on the exterior of the Facility building light up, forbidding escape.

In Yusei and Alex's cell, it's dark. Yusei's lounging on the top bunk and Alex is standing on the floor. "So wha'd they tell you when they transferred you? That you were going to be here for a short time while they processed some paperwork? That you'd be back to the normal detention area before you knew it? They tell everyone that." Says Alex.

As he speaks, another view of the spotlighted exterior of the building, then the view straight up through the center of the Hive, with crossing walkways creating alternate triangles. "But no one ever gets outta this place. I was transferred here after starting a food fight in the Facility cafeteria." Alex says, in voice-over.

Back to the cell, as he continues. "They told me I needed a few days to cool off. That was four years ago. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. Here's the real reason I wanted the bottom bunk." Says Alex, bitterly. He lifts the mattress on his bunk and reveals a hole through it, an escape tunnel. "It's amazing what you can do with a knife, a spoon and a whole lotta time, Yusei." Alex says.

Outside the Facility's main building, on its skylighted rooftop. Alex is leading Yusei around a corner, very similar to where him and Skylar were the night before, and they gaze up at the night sky. "Watch out for the lights... Check it out. The real moon and everything. That opening is the gateway to freedom, my friend." Says Alex. "It's kinda high." Yusei says, pointing out the obvious. "Hm! I got some friends on the outside comin' tomorrow night." Says Alex. Yusei points to his own cheek marker. "What about these beauty marks? As soon as you get outta here, it'll start transmitting a signal and they'll find you." Yusei says. "No they won't. One of my friends is a hacker with super skills, he'll jam the system. I'll have a window of about an hour after I escape to disappear. So whaddaya say, roomie, are ya comin' with? This is a one-time opportunity, buddy, 'cause once they realize how I got out, they'll seal those openings and that'll be that." Says Alex. "I'm in. But there's just one thing." Yusei says. "Huh?" Asks Alex. "Well... two things, actually." Yusei says. "Riiight, lemme guess… Tanner and the old man." Says Alex. Yusei nods. "Hm." Yusei says. Alex sighs. "Fine, they're in. But those two better not hold us back. I mean it, man. If they slow us down and we blow our chance of getting out of here... there won't be another." Says Alex.

Jack is zooming around the track at his estate, sleeve rolled up so he can see his Sign. _"Come on! Why can't I make that big lizard appear?"_ Jack thinks to himself.

Flashback. The same moment Yusei was thinking of is also on Jack's mind. Stardust Dragon, Red Dragon Archfiend and Cynder the Black Dragon are tiny compared to the massive sparkling red Crimson Dragon, crackling with blue sparks, wreathed in white-yellow light. It raises its shimmering head and emits a strange, musical cry. _"I've been circling this track for hours, and still nothing!"_ Jack thinks to himself, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Jack is still watching his arm out of the corner of his eye. _"It seems I can't summon it by myself. Maybe the only way to make the Crimson Dragon appear... is to duel Yusei again. And when I do, he's gonna wish that __m__ark of his never appeared!"_ Jack thinks to himself. The sun is rising over New Domino, as he keeps on riding.

Armstrong enters Tanner's cell, where he's sitting alone on the bottom bunk. "Lunchtime already?" Tanner asks. "A little birdie told me you had some magazines smuggled in here. That's a no-no." Says Armstrong. "Magazines? Hm! I'm not too interested in keeping up with celebrities. Your little bird's singin' a lie." Tanner says. Beat. Armstrong smiles. "Are you talkin' back to me?!" Says Armstrong, raising his voice.

Two guards instantly rush in and pin Tanner's arms behind his back. "Bring 'im, boys!" Armstrong says.

Some time later, the guards dump Tanner on the walkway, thoroughly beat up.

The other prisoners chatter, watching from their barred windows. "…Is that Bolt Tanner?" "…I can't believe this!" "Leave 'im alone!" Says Yanagi. "This can't be good." Yusei says.

"I found smuggled magazines in Tanner's cell! You all know that's against the rules, but I know he couldn't've gotten 'em alone! His accomplice has one hour to step forward! After that, everyone here's gonna pay the price!" Says Armstrong.

"…Oh, come on!" "…You can't punish all of us for somethin' one guy did!" "…That's right!"

"Don't like it? Then you oughta figure out who helped him out. If I were you maggots, I'd start by questioning his friends!" Armstrong says.

"Huh...!" Says Yusei.

Armstrong is standing over Tanner on the walkway in the Hive, addressing the prisoners in their cells. "Look, people. There's no need for everyone to suffer. Tanner's friend just needs to fess up. If he doesn't, I got no problem puttin' all of you in permanent lockdown! That would give me time to kick back and watch my soaps! Ehehahahahah…" Armstrong says.

"Get real!" Says Yusei.

"Huh! You got somethin' you wanna say, newbie?" Armstrong asks.

"There are no magazines, we both know that." Says Yusei.

"Hahahahahahahah! No magazines? So I'm just punishin' Tanner because I feel like it?!" Armstrong asks.

"I don't know why you're doing this, but I know that Tanner wouldn't do anything wrong. You're abusing your authority, Armstrong." Says Yusei.

"Who-ho-hoa! You just accused me of bein' cruel and unfair, that really hurts my feelin's. Come on, show me the love… tell me you're sorry, Satellite!" Armstrong says.

Yusei is silent.

Armstrong's smile gloats that Yusei just made his day. "So that's how you want it. Well, I can't just stand here and let you accuse me of being unfair in front of everyone. To prove that I'm a reasonable man, I'll let you duel me out here where your fellow inmates can watch, and if you win I'll pardon Tanner's offense. But… if I happen to win the duel…" Says Armstrong.

"Then no one here but me gets put in lockdown." Yusei says. "Huh?" Asks Alex.

Complete silence for a moment, except for gasps of awe and surprise from the windows of the surrounding cells as they realize what Yusei just said.

"You got a deal! We duel tonight at eight-thirty sharp. Don't be late!" Armstrong says.

"Don't worry, I'll be there." Says Yusei. "Wait… tonight? But tonight's the night we're supposed…" Alex says.

":...Get your hands offa me! Put me down! Put me down!" Says Yanagi, yelling. Outside on the catwalk, the guards are dragging him forward. One of them speaks. "…Check it out, boss." "Heheheh." Armstrong laughs. "…Contraband!" "Yaah!" Yanagi says, shouting. They pull his cards out of his socks, cuffs, linings and vest. "…This guy's got cards stashed all over the place!" "No! Wait! Those are my treasures! I've traveled all over the world to find those! You can't just take them!" Says Yanagi.

Some of the guys watching from the cells look pitying or sympathetic toward him as he scrambles and reaches for his precious deck.

Armstrong lifts it up and shows it to his audience. "What've I told you clowns about cards?! Alright, maggots, this might be your last hour of free time, stretch your legs and enjoy it while ya got it!" Armstrong says. He turns and leaves, the prisoners are shouting in disgust over Yanagi's treatment and at Armstrong as he leaves.

"…No way!" "…Augh!" "…That's awful!"

"Yusei, we're supposed to sneak out tonight! What gives, man?!" Asks Alex. Yusei is still looking out the window at his friends, persecuted and miserable on the walkway outside. "I had to, Alex." Yusei says.

As soon as the doors unlock, Yusei runs down the walkway as the guards drag Yanagi and Tanner back to their cell, dump them on the ground and then leave.

Yusei runs in and kneels down to see if they're okay. "Hey, guys!" Says Yusei. Tanner turns his head to glare. "What were you thinkin'?!" Tanner asks. "I know, I know..." Says Yusei. "You can't duel him, you don't even have a deck! If you were hopin' to use mine, the Chief took my cards from me earlier." Tanner says. Yusei gasps. Yanagi sits on the lower bunk. "He took mine, too. My beloved treasures..." Says Yanagi.

A few other inmates dash in. "…Bolt, are you okay?" "…Say somethin'." "…Tanner!" "…What happened?"

Yusei walks out of the cell. Alex is waiting for Yusei, leaning against the wall outside the door. "You get it yet? Armstrong did all this to set you up. He figured he could either make you think he was trying to turn the others against you, or he could take advantage of the friendship you have with Tanner. Either way, man, it was check, mate. He had you in his hand from the get-go." Alex says. Yusei doesn't reply. "Look, let's, let's just escape, the two of us! Those guys are dead weight in their current state!" Says Alex. "I can't leave them behind." Yusei says. "Sure you can! You don't owe anybody anything, man, come on!" Says Alex, pleading. "I won't ditch my friends for my own benefit. I'm not leaving them behind just to get ahead. That's just not what I'm about, Alex." Yusei says. "Rrrgh. You're a real piece a' work, ya know?" Asks Alex. He turns and practically runs away. "Forget you! Sheesh!" Alex says.

"…Your name's Yusei, right?" Yusei turns around, some of the other inmates are addressing him. "…A bunch of us would like to see you on the middle walkway."

They gather on one of the walkways, Yusei is surrounded by over twenty toughs. This does not look good. "…We wanna talk about something."

The clock-digital-hits eight-thirty. Yusei's cell door unlocks. Yusei stands ready inside, the challenger. "It's time, kid." Yusei walks over to the guards. "So long, pal." Says Alex, sarcastically. "This isn't goodbye." Yusei says. One of the guards prods him along. "Move it!"

Several walkways converge on one level in a central space shaped like a hexagon, large enough to be a duel arena. Armstrong is waiting and the inmates all crane their necks through the shutters of their cells, as the guards escort Yusei into the arena. "We-e-ell, here he is… the little punk with the big mouth! And I thought you might back down! After all, you're not allowed to have a deck in the Facility. And you have to have a deck in order to duel someone, so uh, since you're showin' up empty-handed, I guess that means I win by forfeit! Easy enough! Now get 'im outta my sight!" Says Armstrong. The guards reach for Yusei.

Alex, Tanner and Yanagi are tense.

"I have a deck." Yusei says. He shows it. "Right here." Says Yusei.

"What?! What the..? Where did you find those?!" Armstrong asks.

"You don't get it. You think we're a bunch of punks who'll gladly turn on each other. That's not how it is." Says Yusei.

Flashback. The prisoners who came to see Tanner address Yusei. "…We wanna talk about somethin'."

Change flashback. About twenty toughs stand on a walkway, surrounding Yusei. Several of them speak in turn. "…We know the Chief is lying about what Tanner did, so we wanted to say thanks for risking your freedom to save ours." He reaches into an inner jacket pocket. "And to make sure you beat the Chief, take this. It's my most prized possession." "Cards are illegal in here, but we've all got that one favorite card we just couldn't let go of. I hung onto this one for sentimental reasons. It's a trap card, but it could come in handy."

Someone had turned over a picture frame to remove a card taped to the back.

Another guy pulls a card out of his dreadlocks and hands it to Yusei. "…This guy may look cute, but he packs a mean punch." "This spell card got me out of a lot a' tough jams." Their voices start to overlap.

People had hidden cards taped to books in bookshelves and under mattresses.

"…You can equip this on to almost any monster." "…Use this card to put Armstrong in his place!" "…I've kept this card hidden in my shoe. Hopefully it doesn't smell too bad!" "With everyone giving me one card... we can win this!" Yusei says. He shows them a full deck of cards. Everyone cheers. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Rrgh. Well alright then. Even though you're breakin' a rule, I'm willin' to uphold my end of the deal. You two!" Says Armstrong. He points at the guards who brought Yusei. "Hurry up and prepare the duel disks!" Armstrong says.

They are each equipped with a duel disk attached to a chain bolted to the floor.

"What's this chain all about?" Asks Yusei.

"Oh, that's, uh... just to make things a little fun. Every time you take lifepoint damage, that chain'll sorta give you a little tickle." Armstrong says.

"Wait, what kind of little tickle?" Asks Yusei.

"You'll find out soon. And just to make things a little more interesting." Armstrong says. He points towards two other guards, both of them holding down one of Skylar's arms.

"No, Skylar! Tell your guards to release her, she has nothing to do with this." Says Yusei.

"Sure she does, you're the one who brought her into this. You befriended her, so might as well target her along with your other friends." Armstrong says.

"Yusei, don't worry about me. Just focus on winning this duel and beating Armstrong more worthless than he already is." Says Skylar.

"Okay then." Yusei says.

Armstrong slots his deck.

Yusei follows suit, his expression grim and purposeful.

"Let's go!" Says both Armstrong and Yusei. Both Yusei and Armstrong start with 4000 lifepoints. The holographic projectors start to light up.

_"So Goodwin thinks this Satellite is special? Well let's find out how special he is!" _Armstrong thinks to himself.

"The first move's mine! And I summon Great Phantom Thief, in defense mode!" Yusei says. Great Phantom Thief has 1000 defense points.

The inmates are cheering and a guy in a blue jacket, with a mark like Alex's cheers out… "…Alright, yeah! That's my card!"

"Your move, Armstrong." Says Yusei.

"This'll be tough. Sure, he scraped together a deck with everyone's cards, but it's a big pile a' mismatched monsters and traps, and he hasn't had much time to strategize." Tanner says, aside to Yanagi. "He can pull it off… I know it!" Says Yanagi. "I hope you're right..." Tanner says.

"I draw! I summon Iron Chain Repairman!" Says Armstrong. Iron Chain Repairman has 1600 attack points. "This big fella's way more powerful than that sorry specter of yours!" Armstrong says.

Yusei braces.

"Repairman, smash that pathetic phantom into the floor!" Says Armstrong.

Guy in the blue jacket again. "…Aw, man! Lot of good my card did him!"

"That phantom may have been in defense mode, but Repairman's got a special ability! When it destroys a monster in battle, it also gets to slam you with three-hundred points of damage!" Armstrong says. He smiles, cunningly, he knows something that Yusei doesn't. "Brace yourself, Satellite, this part might be a little shocking." Says Armstrong.

Yusei starts to feel something and looks at the chain connected to his duel disk, before he knows what's hit him, he's crackling and sizzling with electricity. "Ugghh... hggh-aaaaaagggh-aaaaaahhhhh!"

"What is that?!" Tanner asks.

"He's getting zapped!" Says Alex.

"Yusei!" Skylar says.

Yusei falls to one knee and his lifepoints drop to 3700.

"Hehehahahaha! Sorry about that… but I did say it was gonna be shocking. These duel disks we're using have been souped up with static generation devices. When one of us takes any kind of lifepoint damage, this bad boy here generates a little... jolt." Says Armstrong.

"What?" Yusei asks.

"This is a correctional facility, Yusei! Everything that goes on here is for the betterment of society. Mess up and do somethin' wrong, you get a little shock. Maybe that'll teach ya to make the right choice next time. I place two cards face down. Your move!" Says Armstrong.

Yusei stands up, his legs are a little shaky, but he's far from beaten. "Here goes! I summon The Kick Man in attack mode!" Yusei says. The Kick Man has 1300 attack points.

The prisoners cheer. The guy who gave Yusei this card isn't seen, but they can hear him. "…My dad gave me that card when I was five!" "Go, Yusei! Come on! Kick 'im into the next century!"

"Hm." Says Armstrong, groaning.

"Next, I hook this guy up with the 'Stim-Pack' equip spell! This buffs 'im up another seven hundred attack points!" Yusei says. Kick Man's new attack points are 2000. "Alright, Kick Man… time to take out his monster!" Says Yusei.

"Too bad that attack's just goin'a slam into my 'Soul Anchor'! Now by equipping this trap card onto Iron Chain Repairman, I can render him indestructible in battle!" Armstrong says.

"Maybe, but you're still taking damage!" Says Yusei.

Armstrong's lifepoints decrease to 3600.

"All right!" Yanagi says. "Let's see how much he likes gettin' a little 'jolt'!" Says Tanner.

"Aaaaaaaaaagh... hahahahahahahahahah! Hahahahahahahah!" Armstrong fake screams and then laughs.

"Huh?" Yusei asks.

"Oh, I don't believe this. My static generator isn't working. Maybe they didn't wire it right!" Says Armstrong.

"Yeah, that's it!" Yusei says, sarcastically.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Says Skylar.

Alex is shaking with anger, he's really getting into this. "You cheater! That duel disk of yours was never hooked up to shock you and you know it, Armstrong!" Alex says.

"Haha! I resent what you're implyin' there, kid! I can't help it if this thing breaks, can I?" Asks Armstrong.

"…So fix it!" "…You're a liar!" "…I knew this wouldn't be on the up-and-up! The Chief's a cheat!"

"He's not being fair, Yusei, stop the duel and walk away!" Alex says.

"He can't walk away. And he won't be walkin' away, unless he decides to give up and forfeit the match to me, but if he does that he's goin' straight to the hole, where he can spend all his time thinkin' about how he just gave up!" Says Armstrong.

Alex, Tanner, Yanagi and Skylar gasp, Yusei's trapped!

Yusei doesn't flinch, just patiently waits for Armstrong to make his move.

"Moving on! I summon Iron Chain Snake!" Armstrong says. Iron Chain Snake has 800 attack points, 1200 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is an earth type monster.

Iron Chain Snake is a monster card that can equip onto your opponent's monster and decrease its attack and defense points by eight hundred.

"So much for your Kick Man's defense boost!" Says Armstrong. Iron Chain Snake lands on The Kick Man's shoulders, weighing him down. His points drop to 1200. "And now's the perfect time for my Iron Chain Repairman to attack!" Armstrong says. Iron Chain Repairman smashes The Kick Man with one swing of his giant, boxlike hammer.

Yusei starts to feel the electricity again and endures it, teeth clenched. Yusei's down to 3300 lifepoints. "Don't forget, every time Iron Chain Repairman manages to destroy one of your monsters in battle, you get hit with a whoppin' three-hundred points of damage!" Says Armstrong.

Surprise and shock register on Yusei's face, right before the generators kick in again and he cries out, in pain.

"This is ridiculous!" Alex says.

"Yusei!" Says Yanagi, Skylar and Tanner.

Yusei falls to his knees again, gasping for breath.

"That's not all! Since Kick Man was saddled with Iron Chain Snake, you have to send three cards from your deck to your graveyard! Look, it's obvious you're losing, but I wantcha to know… if I'm being hard on you, it's all in the name of rehabilitation! Ya see? Ya left me with no choice but to use you as an example for the others, kid. Now get rid a' those three cards!" Armstrong says.

Yusei discards three times, his duel disk is surrounded by a misty purplish fog. The cards Yusei discards are Tri-Horned Dragon, 'United We Stand' and The Unhappy Maiden.

"Hehehahahaha! If you think you can still win, get up. If not, stay down and we'll call it a day! Ehehehahahahah!" Says Armstrong. He keeps laughing over the final lines.

"Yusei!"

"Don't give in!" Tanner says.

"Keep fighting, you can beat him." Says Skylar.

"Rise up, Yusei!" Alex says.

"Rise up! Rise up! Rise up! Rise up!" The prisoners all chant.


	11. Chapter 10

_Chapter_ _10: The Lockdown Duel: Part 2_

"I'm gonna make sure you don't leave the Facility for a long time, Yusei! And no matter what you do to try to stop me from winnin' this duel, I'm not takin' my eyes off the prize! Hehehehehahahahah!" Armstrong says. As he speaks, several security cameras are trained on Yusei.

In the security room, some poor guard is watching Yusei scowl at Armstrong from every direction as he gets to his feet, unsteadily.

Yusei has 3000 lifepoints.

Armstrong has 3600. "I'm glad to see this duel isn't too shocking for ya, Satellite." Says Armstrong.

"Well that's easy for Armstrong to say, especially since his duel disk isn't connected to the static generator!" Tanner says.

"It's my... turn!" Says Yusei. He draws 'Call of the Haunted'. "And I think I'll start by playing the spell card 'Nightmare's Steelcage'!" Yusei says. A domed cage with sharp spikes on the outside appears around his side of the field.

"Don't you know you're already behind bars?!" Asks Armstrong.

"Yeah, well these bars are gonna keep me safe from your static generator shocks for the next two rounds!" Yusei says.

"Heh! That little cage won't save you!" Says Armstrong.

"We'll see. Now I lay down a face down..." Yusei says. He puts 'Call of the Haunted' face down. "…and end my turn!" Says Yusei.

Two prisoners who are watching the match. "…'Steelcage'! That was my card! See? I toldja my deck wasn't lame!" "…Listen, I said that you were lame, not your stinkin' deck."

"Shut it, you two, you're both lame!" Armstrong says. He draws and glances at his card out of the corner of his eye. "Hmmmm. Now you might think you're safe, with that steel cage stoppin' my monsters from attackin' you. But I don't need to attack in order to win this duel! And here's why, Yusei! First I'll play Iron Chain Snake!" Says Armstrong. Iron Chain Snake has 800 attack points. "And since I have Iron Chain Repairman already on the field, its special ability lets me bring out another monster! So I think I'll bring out another Iron Chain Snake! Next up, I'm activatin' these two spell cards! And with them in play, this match is all but a lock for me, because with two level-five chain monsters on my field, my 'Poison Chain' now forces you to send ten cards to your graveyard if my monsters don't attack! And when your deck runs outta cards to play, Satellite, you know what happens, don'tcha?!" Armstrong asks. He gives a foreboding thumbs-down.

Yusei's duel disk glows purple with the poison. "I lose..." Says Yusei.

"Now I hope you didn't have anything planned for the next couple of years, Yusei. 'Cause once I win this duel, you can wave 'bye-bye' to your future!" Armstrong says.

Yusei draws the top ten cards off his deck, shows the stack to him and discards it, grimly.

"So with those ten cards gone, you've only got nineteen left!" Says Armstrong.

"At this rate, Yusei won't survive for more than two more rounds! Come on, grandpa, there's gotta be something Yusei can do to stop Armstrong's spell!" Tanner says. "There is, but I don't think the guards're gonna let 'im run away and hide!" Says Yanagi.

"Now I play the spell card 'Paralyzing Chain', which shocks away three hundred points whenever you suffer the effects of my 'Poison Chain'." Armstrong says.

Yusei gets shocked again, lifepoints at 2700 now.

The clock reads 8:40 PM. Alex is preparing to leave. _"Rrrgh, it's almost time. Sorry I can't wait any longer. You had your chance, Yusei." _Alex thinks to himself. He leaps into the tunnel under his bed and out of sight.

Yusei is swaying on his feet after that last shock.

Skylar's still being held onto by each of her arms, but she knows that something has to give and that she's got to help her younger brother somehow. _"I have to find a way to help Yusei, he's my brother, my half-twin. I was supposed to be looking out for his well-being. And now he's dueling for his very freedom. I have to find a way to help him, I owe him for not being there for three years of his life, but Yusei has really come around. Don't worry, Yusei. I'll find a way to help you, somehow." _Skylar thinks to herself.

"Looks like that cage isn't so safe after all, huh, Yusei? Guess those cards are as useless as the people who gave them to you!" Says Armstrong.

Yusei draws. "I'll show ya 'useless'!" Yusei says.

"I'm sure you will… if you can last." Says Armstrong.

Alex sneaks along the rooftop and spots a yellow light winking at him from the edge of the platform above. _"That's my signal. Maybe Yusei was right about not leaving his friends here..." _Alex thinks to himself.

Flashback. "Look, let's just escape, the two of us! Those guys are dead weight in their current state!" Alex says. "I can't leave them behind!" Says Yusei. "Sure you can! You don't owe anybody anything, man, come on!" Alex says. "I won't ditch my friends for my own benefit! I'm not leaving them behind just to get ahead! That's just not what I'm about, Alex." Says Yusei. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"Ugh!... Well I'm not about that either, Yusei."_ Alex thinks to himself.

A shot from Yusei's upper right hand corner and hear him via the security is watching his every move. "I draw!" Yusei says, via-screen. He just drew 'Dust Tornado' and his other cards are three more traps… 'Jar of Greed', 'Taunt' and 'Battle Mania'.

"I'll throw down… three face downs!" Says Yusei.

"And I'll play this! The spell 'Psychic Cyclone'! Now I can choose one of your face-downs, and if I can guess whether it's a trap or a spell, not only do ya lose it, but I get another draw! And I gotta feelin' in this game, the house always wins! Eeney, meeney, miney, moe! I… say the left one is a trap card! I'm right, aren't I?" Armstrong asks.

"How...?!" Asks Yusei. 'Dust Tornado' is destroyed.

"What can I tell ya, Yusei, my instincts never let me down! Now with that trap card outta the picture, your chances of beating me and getting outta here just got a whole lot slimmer!" Armstrong says.

"No way! I smell something fishy, and it's not his B.O.!" Says Tanner.

"And now I can draw one card from my deck and then I'll end my turn, Satellite!" Armstrong says.

"I'm just gonna play a face down for right now. Your move." Says Yusei.

"Heheheheheh, then I guess I'll draw! Hm. I summon out Iron Chain Blaster! And since I couldn't attack you thanks to your 'Steelcage's' effect, my 'Poison Chain' spell card forces you to send twelve more cards to your graveyard! So with them gone, next round y'all finished!" Armstrong says.

Yusei discards twelve more.

"Don't be mad, this is just a game. Of course in this game if ya happen to lose, ya hafta kiss all your freedom goodbye! But in the meantime, whaddaya say we let the effect of my 'Paralyzin' Chain' put a charge into this duel!" Says Armstrong.

The card glows and Yusei gets shocked, he has 2400 lifepoints left.

"Shocking move, isn't it, Yusei! And it's only gonna get worse, 'cause now I can load my Blaster with Iron Chain Snake and break through your barrier!" Armstrong says.

Before the last charge is even over, Yusei gets shocked again, now he has 1600.

"I can now bring back my Iron Chain Snake due to Iron Chain Repairman's special ability." Says Armstrong.

"Yusei! If you don't stop the Chief soon, his monsters're gonna totally destroy you!" Tanner says.

"That's metaphorically speakin' of course. That's not to say that with your 'Steelcage' vanishing this turn, their attacks aren't going to shock you into submission." Says Armstrong.

Yusei is still winded from all the shocking.

"Hmhmhm. Looks to me like your time behind bars backfired. I mean all you have left are a half-dozen cards in that joke you call a deck." Armstrong says.

That gets Yusei. "These cards are the heart and hope of every man in here!" Says Yusei.

Armstrong is angry at that. "Then I'll be sure to destroy them as soon as I'm done with you!" Armstrong says.

"I won't let that happen." Says Yusei.

Suddenly, the lights go out. "Somebody turn on the lights!" Armstrong says.

The lights go on, level by level. "What was that?" Asks Armstrong, speaking into a mic on his lapel.

Guards in the control room. "…We're not sure, Sir. But we're checking the generator control room now."

"Ngh. Let's get back to business." Armstrong says.

Yusei looks back at the shuttered window of the cell he shares with Alex. _"Alex! He's gone! That blackout must've been caused by his friends on the outside! Wish I was with you, but I got my friends to think about. Good luck, man." _Yusei thinks to himself. "Okay, Chief, I'm playing this… the trap card, the 'Jar of Greed'! And thanks to it, Armstrong, I draw one more card!" Says Yusei.

"Ha! With each card that you remove from your deck… hmph!... you're one step closer to losing this duel!" Armstrong says.

"Not if I play my trap 'Call of the Haunted'!" Says Yusei.

'Call of the Haunted' is a trap card that allows you to special-summon a monster from your graveyard back onto your field in attack position.

"And guess who I'm bringin' back with it, Armstrong! You should get a big kick out of this!" Yusei says. The Kick Man has 1300 attack points.

"You brought back Kick Man? He's as valuable as you are!" Says Armstrong.

"You shouldn't underestimate the power of any card, especially one that can join forces with a card in my graveyard!" Yusei says.

"But your graveyard is full of…" Says Armstrong.

"Cards you forced me to get rid of. So it seems like your strategy is the one that backfired! Because now I can call on 'Ax of Despair' to give my Kick Man an extra one-thousand attack points!" Yusei says.

"Nice one! 'Course I did the same combo back in my pro days on the Circuit." Says Tanner.

"And next up, I'm summoning Exiled Force!" Yusei says. Exiled Force has 1000 attack points. "Kick Man! Ataaaaack!" Says Yusei.

Kick Man destroys Iron Chain Snake and Armstrong gets zapped, surprisingly! "Hunh...? Hwaaah-aaaaaagggggh!" Armstrong screams.

"Hold on! His duel disk finally shocked him!" Yanagi says. "Yeah! Looks like someone turned the power back on!" Says Tanner.

"Now Exiled Force, move in and slay that serpent of his with a direct attack!" Yusei says.

"Eh, hold on, time out, there's somethin' wrong with my… doh! Eeegh-aigee-aauauauahh! If I find out that the person who turned m'duel disk back on knows you, Yusei, they're gonna wish they never met you! Ugh!" Says Armstrong. His lifepoints are now at 1900, he slumps to the floor.

Yusei is mystified.

"…Chief Armstrong, an intruder has been caught and restrained in the power generator room. We're bringing him to you ASAP."

Armstrong is still on the floor. "Ngh... rrgh... now let's see who did this!" Armstrong says. He gets to his feet with much groaning and shakes himself out with a silly blubbering noise.

The guards approach, escorting Alex. Yusei's roommate is smiling, mockingly. "…Sir, here's the culprit. This was Yusei's cellmate."

"No! They caught Alex!" Says Yusei.

Tanner, Yanagi and Skylar gasp.

"How did this punk sneak out of his cell?!" Armstrong asks.

"…Sir, he dug a hole, got to the power room, and fried the mainframe."

"He did what?! Go fix it, my duel disk has been shockin' me!" Says Armstrong, aside to the guards.

"Exactly, and it's not going to stop!" Alex says.

"Egh! I said fix it!" Says Armstrong.

In the control room, one of the guards is on the phone. In the background, a few more guards run past, frantically, and another one narrowly avoids getting singed by an exploding console. "…I'm sorry, Sir! But the mainframe can't be repaired! Which means the shocks that are running through your duel disk will continue for the remainder of the contest!"

"Rrrrrgh, rrrrrgh, soon as I'm done here, punk, you and I will have a nice long conversation!" Armstrong says.

"But first, your duel. And with the playing field evened up, I'd be shocked to see you win!" Says Alex, impudently.

"Rrrrgh!" Armstrong growls under his breath.

"Why'd you come back, Alex?" Yusei asks.

"Well I couldn't just leave you here! I had to try and help you, Yusei. That's what friends do for each other. Just like you put your friends ahead of yourself, I wanted to do the same for you." Says Alex.

Yusei nods. "Hm. It's time we add to the stakes. Now that your duel disk is working once again... I say we battle it out for Alex. I win, you don't punish him. I lose, and he goes into lockdown like me." Yusei says.

"Um, Yusei...?" Asks Alex.

"Sounds perfect! You're done next turn anyway!" Armstrong says. He points to the guards. "Let Alex watch his future disappear!" Says Armstrong.

"So then let's keep going. I sacrifice Exiled Force to destroy Iron Chain Repairman! It's your move, Chief!" Yusei says.

"This is it. One draw, one card. And if it's a monster, Yusei has to throw away all his cards!" Says Tanner. "So, um, what's so bad about that?" Yanagi asks. "What's bad about it is that he'll lose! Didn't you ever find a rulebook when you were traveling the world?! Man, it's like talkin' about this to my dad!" Says Tanner. "But you call me 'gramps'." Yanagi says. "Never mind." Says Tanner.

"Here we… go!" Armstrong says. He draws Nobleman of Cross-out. "Well well, looks like you're okay. At least for now y'are." Says Armstrong. _"But what Yusei doesn't know is I've been watchin' every move of his game since draw one! Thanks to my security cameras, his cards're about as secret as a prime-time lineup! And premierin' tonight are Yusei's face down cards, and I gotta feelin', it's gonna be somethin' of a tragedy! The face down on the right is 'Taunt', a trap he can't even use this turn. And on the left side, 'Battle Mania'. Now that trap could be trouble, since it forces our monsters to fight each other. And as long as Yusei's Kick Man is swingin' that 'Axe of Despair', he's got the upper hand. But with 'Battle Mania' gone, I win! And I've got just the card to get rid of it!" _Armstrong thinks to himself. "I think I'll mix things up with my spell card 'Reload'! Now I'll just put all my cards in my deck, shuffle 'em up, and re-draw! Eeyah!" Armstrong says. He looks, Iron Chain Coil and 'Mystical Space Typhoon'. "Hehehehehehehehe… hahahahahahahahahah! Hmph! I play 'Mystical Space Typhoon'!" Says Armstrong.

'Mystical Space Typhoon' is a spell card that allows you to destroy one spell or trap card that you or your opponent has on the field.

"And now I choose to destroy the face down card on the left! Say g'bye! What?! It's not 'Battle Mania'?!" Armstrong asks.

"No, but the right one is! Check it out! So now our monsters have to attack. And that means I don't lose anymore cards in this round." Says Yusei.

"He did it! Yusei must've switched all his cards around when the blackout happened! Now Yusei's Kick Man can win this!" Tanner says.

"Hey, what's goin' on?! This duel is supposed to be fixed so that I win!" Says Armstrong, talking in his lapel mic. "…Don't worry, Sir. We've stacked your deck with the most advanced chain monster combos available. Yusei's not the only one who knows how to duel with dragons!" _"Rrggh, alright, Yusei, I didn't go through all the trouble to cheat just so you would win! Time to show you the rest of my chain gang!" _Armstrong thinks to himself. "I summon out my Iron Chain Coil! And I'll tune 'im with my Iron Chain Blaster to synchro-summon… Iron Chain Dragon! Hehehahahahahaha!" Armstrong says. Iron Chain Dragon has 2500 attack points. "Here's where it gets fun! See, for every chain monster that I've got in my graveyard, my dragon gains two hundred attack points, and right now, I've got five! So with an extra thousand attack points, Yusei, I'm attacking you with my Iron Chain Dragon!" Says Armstrong. Iron Chain Dragon's improved attack points are 3500.

"Trust me, Chief. That is a bad idea." Skylar says.

"I know it is… for him!" Says Armstrong.

Kick Man gets destroyed and Yusei gets shocked, 400 lifepoints left.

"Did I forget to mention that his special ability automatically activates? See, whenever he attacks, you have to send three of your duel cards to the graveyard." Armstrong says.

Yusei does so.

"And with 'Paralyzing Chain's' effect, you lose three hundred more lifepoints!" Says Armstrong.

Yusei gets shocked again, 100 lifepoints left, and falls to his knees, steaming around the edges.

"Yusei, no!" Skylar says.

"His lifepoints!" Says Tanner. "He's finished!" Yanagi says.

"He can't win now, he's too weak!" Says Alex.

Yusei struggles to his feet again. "My turn." Yusei says. He draws the last card from his deck, it's now empty.

"Ooh? Hehehehahahahahah! You've got nothing left, you're down to a hundred lifepoints and your very last card! Your deck's empty and you don't have a single face down!" Says Armstrong.

"I know. But all I need to win is one card." Yusei says. He looks up at Armstrong.

"And a little of your help!" Says Skylar.

"My help?!" Armstrong asks.

"You spent the whole duel trying to send his cards to the graveyard. You thought his entire deck was worthless. Just a mishmash of cards given to him by your prisoners. His friends. And maybe, on their own, they wouldn't stand a chance against your super-charged chains, but together they will." Says Skylar. She then uses all her strength and with it both of the guards' heads that have her restrained bang into each other. They release their hold on Skylar's arms and fall to the ground. Skylar then brings a card out from her deck. "With this. And one other card he has. Yusei here, I didn't have time to give it to you earlier." Skylar says. She throws the card to Yusei.

Yusei catches it.

"Mmm?!" Asks Armstrong, groaning.

"Skylar and I knew you would use the security cameras to spy on the cards in my hand once the match started. So her and I came up with a plan, she knew you would have your guards restrain her so she couldn't interfere in your plans. This whole time, Armstrong, you played right into our hands." Yusei says. He removes a card from his left sleeve and shows it. "It's called Rubble King. I hid it so your little surveillance friends couldn't 'big-brother' it." Says Yusei.

Flashback to when Armstrong destroyed 'Taunt', thinking it was 'Battle Mania'. "So as soon as you picked the wrong trap card to destroy, I just had to keep you sending my cards to the graveyard." Yusei says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Gnnngh, for what, to lose?!" Asks Armstrong.

"Not quite. I'll show you after I summon him!" Yusei says. As he speaks, the cards in his graveyard appear around him. "Now if there are over thirty cards in my graveyard when Rubble King is summoned, like you so thoughtfully provided, I get to use a trap. It comes down to my very last two cards… I activate the trap 'Blasting the Ruins'! If I have thirty or more cards in my graveyard, which you know I do, then you automatically lose three-thousand lifepoints!" Says Yusei.

"Three what?!" Armstrong asks.

Yusei summons Rubble King and the card that Skylar let him borrow, which happens to be… Cynder the Black Dragon. Rubble King directs a swarm of rocks to cluster around Armstrong, then they explode. Cynder uses her black and purple tinted colored breath of fire and it hits Armstrong directly.

Armstrong makes lots of funny noises as he gets zapped and falls to the ground. Armstrong's lifepoints go straight to zero.

"You beat 'im, Yusei!" Says Alex.

"He won! He won!" Yanagi says. "Never a doubt!" Says Tanner.

The prisoners are cheering. "…You see that?! He took out the Chief with all of our cards!" The whole Hive is chanting 'Yusei! Yusei! Yusei!'.

Skylar walks over to Yusei and stops when she reaches his side. Yusei stares down at Armstrong, surprised at his own power, slightly.

Armstrong pushes himself up on his elbows, his hat has fallen off and he's completely bald. "Put 'em both… in the lockdown!" Armstrong says, ordering.

"What?!" Asks Yusei.

"Rrrgh, but what about our deal?!" Alex asks.

"We don't have any deal, take them both away now!" Says Armstrong.

The guards start to take Alex away, until a whip suddenly gets whacked hard on the ground next to them and ends up hitting the guards in the legs, making them release him. "Thanks, Skylar." Alex says.

Skylar nods and then faces Armstrong.

Some guards start to approach Yusei, but Skylar gets them to back away with her whip, as well.

Skylar then glares at Armstrong once again, now standing in front of Yusei, almost as if she's a human shield for him.

"You have been a pain in my side ever since you first arrived here, Skylar. That's about to come to an end, by putting you out of your painful past memories and putting an end to you." Says Armstrong.

"I don't think so, Mr. Armstrong." Goodwin says.

"Gah! Mr. Goodwin, what brings you here, Sir?" Asks Armstrong.

High on a walkway above, Goodwin has been watching. "Skylar contacted me saying that you've been abusing your authority. And I believe she has told me the truth. I saw the entire duel. And the only person going away is you, I'm afraid. I can't see how the Facility can be run effectively if no trust exists between the guards and the inmates. Pack your things, Armstrong. You're fired." Goodwin says. He walks away, leaving Yusei to wonder what that was all about.

Sometime soon after, in Tanner's 'dueling arena', Yusei is chatting with him, Yanagi, Alex and Skylar. "So what now, Yusei? You're free to go." Says Tanner. "Somethin's weird, why did Goodwin show up just then? Seems funny." Alex says. "Oh, be quiet. Thanks to Goodwin we're all getting out soon, too!" Says Yanagi. "I know. And that's why this whole siuation just seems strange. Yusei wins, now we're all gonna be free? Just be sure to watch your back." Alex says. "Maybe he's right. So please, take this gift." Says Yanagi. It's the 'Totem Pole' trap card. "I can't take your card." Yusei says. "Yes you can!" Says Yanagi. He puts it in his hand. "I figure you'll probably have more use for that card than I ever will!" Yanagi says. Yusei nods. "This is incredible! Thank you." Says Yusei. "Hold on, I got somethin' for you too. This card's gonna help you get your runner back." Tanner says. He hands him Giant Ushi Oni. "I overheard the guards talkin' about your sweet ride, and how it's locked up in the Impound Center. Now, take this to a store named Bootleg, order some milk, and ask for Blister. He'll help you out." Says Tanner. As soon as he mentioned the name Blister, Skylar's hand flinches. "You okay, Skylar?" Yusei asks. "Yes, I'm fine, Yusei." Says Skylar. "Oh, before I forget. I think this card belongs to you." Yusei says. He hands Skylar her Cynder the Black Dragon card back and she takes it. "So, will I ever see you again, Skylar?" Asks Yusei. "I don't have any doubts about that. I think we shall probably see each other more than you realize, trust me on that." Skylar says. She then starts walking away from the group.

"Oh! Hey, Skylar!" Says Yusei.

Skylar stops and turns to look over her shoulder at him.

"Thanks for all your help." Yusei says.

"No problem. Good luck, Yusei." Says Skylar. She then turns back the other way and walks off. _"Trust me, Yusei. We shal__l see each other again sooner than you think, if seeing Blister is your new mission." _Skylar thinks to herself.

"Are you sure about this? If you let him go, we might never find him again." Lazar says. "It's obvious to me that Yusei's Mark of the Dragon won't reappear while he's trapped inside the walls of the Facility. It's time for a change of scenery. Besides, I never said that we were letting him go." Says Goodwin. "You're going to track him?! Oh, you are sooo sneaky! Hehehehehehehehe!" Lazar says.

Unaware to him and Goodwin, Skylar is listening and she heard everything they said. _"Yusei i__s still in trouble. And as his older half-twin sister, it i__s my job to make sure he stays safe." _Skylar thinks to herself.

As Goodwin speaks the next line, Yusei walks out the front gates of the Facility, oblivious to Trudge watching him from above on the street. "With Yusei free to roam New Domino City, I have selected an elite task force to keep him under surveillance and watch for any signs of his Mark reappearing. Now as long as no one interferes in our affairs, all we need to do is watch, and wait." Says Goodwin, in voice-over.

_"Hello again, Yusei." _Trudge thinks to himself. He pulls off his helmet, revealing a scar on his cheek. _"I heard about the little task force Goodwin put together. You better hope they get to you before I do!" _Trudge thinks to himself, angrily.


	12. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11: The Take Back: Part 1_

It's a posh night in New Domino. Shoppers are roaming the sidewalks, a night club with a singer is bustling away. A pair of men in nondescript suits and sunglasses peek out from behind a corner. "Wolfgang, this is Foxtrot. Target is on foot and heading west on Smith Street."

Another agent is sitting parked in a car, as Yusei walks by on the sidewalk. "Trapline, he's coming your way." Wolfgang says.

Another agent, hiding behind a corner somewhere. "Roger that. Got the eyeball." Says Trapline. "Follow on foot, Trapline. Do not lose visual contact." Wolfgang says, via-phone.

Yusei keeps walking down the sidewalk, oblivious that he's being followed. _"I hope your card works, Tanner." _Yusei thinks to himself.

Flashback to when Tanner spoke with him before he left the Facility and gave him the card Giant Ushi Oni. "Hold on! I got somethin' for you too. This card's gonna help you get your runner back. I overheard the guards talkin' about your sweet ride, and how it's locked up in the Impound Center. Now, take this to a store named Bootleg, order some milk, and ask for Blister. He'll help you out." Says Tanner. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"Okay, Tanner. Let's see what this friend of yours can do about helping me get my runner back!"_ Yusei thinks to himself. This part of New Domino is nearly as derelict as the Satellite. Bums are snoozing on sidewalks and in doorways. There's a solitary gutter that drips in the gloom.

Foxtrot and his buddy peek out from an alleyway. "Hang back, Foxtrot. Let's see what he's up to."

Yusei stops in front of the only doorway on the street with a lantern lit in front, but it's still pretty much a hole in the wall. _"So this is the place Tanner was talking about. Seems like my kind of joint. I just hope Tanner's friend comes through for me." _Yusei thinks to himself.

The interior is a lantern-lit tavern with a few guys at the tables, most marked. They're conversing, quietly, and as Yusei walks in, he catches the end of a joke. "…And so the cobby says to the monkey, 'you're going to jail!' Ahahaha! Get it?" "…Uh, nope."

Yusei walks over and sits down at the bar, the bartender has a mark on each cheek. "Heh? So whaddayou want here, kid, lose your puppy or somethin'? My heart's breakin' for ya, but this ain't the animal shelter, now get outta heah! We got a no-loitering rule, payin' customers only!" "In that case, I'll have some milk." Yusei says. He pulls out Tanner's card and places it on the bar.

In the background, a few of the suited agents are entering.

"Eh!" "Bolt Tanner gave this to me. I'm lookin' for a guy named Blister." Says Yusei. The bartender pours a glass of milk and puts it on top of Tanner's card, as if it were a coaster. "Those suits that followed you lookin' for Blister, too?" "Huh?" Yusei asks. "Hm." The bartender nods to where the suits have grabbed a table in the back, slightly. Yusei glances over his shoulder. "I assume those guys, eh, aren't with you."

A couple of the agents notice Yusei glancing their direction and look away, hastily.

"Now get outta here, kid." "Hm?" Asks Yusei. "You don't find Blister, Blister finds you!" Yusei nods, drinks down his milk in one gulp and sets the glass down next to Giant Ushi Oni, picking up the card. "Thanks." Yusei says. He stands up and walks out.

The suits close to follow, conspicuously.

Yusei soon walks out of Bootleg and is wandering onto another street, when he hears a runner engine scream, and turns around.

After a moment, a guy on a runner appears on a rooftop and jumps off, soaring over Yusei's head about an inch above it and landing beside him. "Lookin' for me?"

The agents run toward them. "Quick, don't let 'em get away!" The two agents who have been following Yusei run down the alleyway toward him. "Don't move!"

The guy on the runner talks into a mic installed into his helmet. "Hey Sky, I'm kinda in a situation down here. You think you can help me out down here so I can get this guy outta here." "I'm already here. Somehow I knew you would need my help." They hear another runner engine scream and both turn around.

A different runner turns the corner and makes an arc around both of them. It is a girl this time though.

"Need a lift?" He rides an arc around Yusei and before he can think, he grabs his wrist and slings him over the back of the runner before zooming away, leaving the agents in the dust.

"Who was that?" "Check the navalink. We're tracking the signal?" One of the agents opens up a GPS screen. "Yeah, we got 'im. They're going north on…" The blip on his little tracking screen disappears. "…ah! Come on!" "What, what's goin' on?" "Tell Wolfgang we've lost visual and radar." The other agent grabs his cell phone and dials.

During the whole conversation, someone else was able to sneak away, as well.

Yusei is still sideways on the runner, has been given a helmet and is holding his head up and away from the road, while a whitish beam is trained on his mark. "Hold still. The ions in this little bad boy are jamming the marker's signal. Can't have those suits following us." "Are you Blister?" Asks Yusei. "In the flash." Blister says.

A while later. A pack of helicopters have been dispersed into the city, shining searchlights into every back alley.

Blister and Yusei are inside a respectable-looking, if plain, computer lab/studio somewhere, the runner parked in the corner and Yusei at the window.

The only light is from two computer screens, one on which Blister is typing. "Sector Security usually saves the helicopters for the big-time offenders, but you seem harmless enough. You know something about a City Hall fat-cat you're not supposed to know?" Asks Blister.

"Actually, I think someone knows something about me. But, I don't know what." Yusei says.

"Well, your marker won't transmit for a few hours, and I've cloaked this building. You're good for now. So Bolt Tanner told you to come here and find me, did he?" Asks Blister.

"That's right." Yusei says.

"I don't suppose he sent you to pay me the chunk a' change he owes me?" Asks Blister.

"'Fraid not." Yusei says.

"In that case, you must be here for the Official Blister Hookup. So, what's the deal? Need a new identity?" Asks Blister.

"I need to sneak into the Security Impound Center to get my runner back." Yusei says.

"You're kidding, right?" Asks Blister.

"Tanner said you could help me. So is he right or wrong?" Yusei asks.

"He's right." Says Blister.

"So, who was that girl who helped us out before?" Yusei asks.

"Actually, I think you already know her. I met her a few years back, she was really banged up when I found her." Says Blister.

"Shouldn't she have been back by now?" Yusei asks.

"She comes and goes, but she hasn't really been here a whole lot. Honestly, this was the first time in over a year since I've seen her. But, I think she's here. If you want to meet her then by all means." Says Blister.

"Wait, she's already here?" Yusei asks.

"Yeah, she's probably in the garage fixin' up her runner. I'll call her up for ya if you'd like. Hey, Sky!" Says Blister.

A door suddenly opens from behind Yusei and closes shut.

When Yusei turns to look back over his shoulder, the shadows of the night have her hidden. "You called for me, Blister?"

"Yeah, I think he wanted to talk to you about something." Blister says.

"You have my attention, Yusei."

"How do you know my name?" Asks Yusei.

"Because, you and I have already met more than once."

"Wait, your voice. Is that you, Skylar?" Yusei asks.

"Well, yes and no. You know me by more than just Skylar Alektra. I think, it is time you knew the truth, Yusei. Skylar Alektra is my alias, so to speak. However, you know me by another name." She then walks out of the shadows, slowly, showing a different outfit than what she usually wears when she's Skylar Alektra. Her lower body consists of thigh-high, black, heeled boots, with silver-colored edging around the top, the right boot has a pair of belted straps tightly wrapped around her thigh, dark, tight, stretchy pants, and a black belt. Her upper body consists of a long, black coat, over a black, sleeveless, formfitting top, with rectangular and diamond shaped holes surrounding her neck. On both hands, she seems to wear black gloves, which are held in place by her middle fingers and extend underneath the sleeves of her coat, and her nails are slightly sharp, but feminine wise. And for once, the shadows uncover her face without the mask, so now her true face is revealed. The scar that goes down the left side of her head and face can now fully be seen, showing that it goes down the side of her neck and runs just past her collar-bone. She also has a scar that goes through and slightly across the left side of her collar bone.

Yusei recognizes her face well, even if there is scarring.

"Hello, brother."

"I don't believe it. It's been you the whole time, Skylara?" Asks Yusei.

"Yes." Skylara says.

All Yusei can think to do is run over to her and hug her like they used to. Yusei does, embracing Skylara in his arms, feeling as if his mission has finally been fulfilled. "I don't get how I didn't see it before, but you've been with me ever since I first arrived in the City." Says Yusei. "I know it has only been three years since it happened. However, it feels like almost a lifetime." Skylara says. "I know what you mean. I see that you found a different taste in clothing style. I mean, you always wore stuff that tended to show off your femininity before. And it seems you still do." Says Yusei. Skylara looks down at her attire. "Yes, well, working for the Director is worth it from time to time. I mean, you have seen the bodysuit I wear as Skylar Alektra. And of course, when you tend to go from a place like the Satellite to living here in the City. Well, your taste in style tends to change along with it. Jack's a perfect example of that. I see you kept with your style, though." Skylara says. "Hey, if the look still works, don't change it, right?" Asks Yusei. "That is true. However, for me, the old look wasn't working anymore. So, after a few months of working for Goodwin and six months before I turned eighteen, I changed up my style to a more mature one than my old style was." Skylara says. "Well, I actually like this new style of yours. It looks good on you, sis. It's completely different from the old style that I'm used to seeing you wear, but this style definitely works for you. It suits you, and just like the style you wore back in the Satellite, it shows off your femininity. I'm kinda glad that side of you hasn't changed." Says Yusei. "I am glad you approve of my new style, Yusei." Skylara says. "Your new style, along with your much longer hair length. They both suit you. And you were right, the scars are hardly noticeable." Says Yusei. He reaches to touch Skylara's face, but stops short, considering that she could still be sensitive of the subject. Yusei then brings his hands down to his sides.

Sometime later. The helicopters are now scanning a distant corner of the City.

A janitor-type uniform and a red duffel bag are sitting on the table, beside an iridescent ID card that has a picture of Yusei and reads 'Yusei Adams'. "Alright, 'Mr. Adams', your maintenance uniform is set, and I've got your I.D. card. I just need to hack into the City system..." Blister says. He starts humming to himself, aimlessly.

As Blister types, Yusei wanders the room and sees on top of the bookcase, a picture of a younger Blister holding up a trophy with another guy, happily, who in his other hand is holding a card, the picture frame is sitting on top of a card. Yusei picks up the picture and inspects it closer, then looks at the card, it's the same card as the one in the photo, but it's torn and scorched.

"And, done. Yusei Adams, you are officially an employee of the New Domino City Security Impound Center. Now each door requires a site-specific code. Lemme hop onto the mainframe and see where they're keeping your ride so I'll know what code you'll need. When did they take it?" Asks Blister.

At this point, Yusei is looking at the picture, the carefree, happy young man in it has grown far sadder and more cynical to become the man of the present. "A couple weeks ago, Blister." Yusei says.

"Alright then, I'll have to break the encryption on the security mainframe. Some logorithm runs, a little ghost-imaging, and… booyah! I'm in! Just gotta narrow the search down to single-ride duel runners confiscated over the past several weeks, run that against a list of other variables, a-a-and bingo! Vault sixty-four-B, top floor. Now to snag the passcodes you'll need to get in. This shouldn't be too hard." Says Blister.

"Blister, did you used to be a duelist?" Yusei asks.

Blister turns and stands up. "Hm? Wha! What're you doing snoopin' around in here, put that picture back!" Says Blister.

Yusei shows the picture. "Looks like you were takin' names in the big leagues." Yusei says.

"Nah, I was never big-league, that's for sure. Me an' my partner dueled in the semi-pro league for a bit. But, that was a different life, Yusei. It was a lo-o-ong time ago." Says Blister. He sits back down. "Put the picture down. We gotta focus here." Blister says.

Yusei places the picture frame and the card beneath it back, carefully, and joins him. "Talk to me." Says Yusei. "Got the passcode for sixty-four-B." Blister says. "Is that all I'll need?" Asks Yusei. "That, the I.D. card, your uniform, and a whole lotta luck. The security droids are on a random program, so I can't help ya there." Blister says. "I'll risk it. So was that your duel partner with you in the picture?" Asks Yusei. Blister rolls over to the other computer. "Man! You dunno how to let something go, do you? We're not here to get to know each other, got it?" Blister asks.

Outside, Trudge is hiding in a side-alley, staring at the window through which Blister's computer screens are glowing. _"Hmm. I spy someone who thinks they got away. But no one gets away from me. I'll show Yusei and that no-good Goodwin!" _Trudge thinks to himself.

Flashback. At Security Headquarters... "I said there were no third chances with the Director! You're on mall patrol!" "Goodwin's up to something here, Captain! First he has me shaking down that Satellite, and then he lets him walk free in Domino?! I'm gonna catch that kid and get to the bottom of this!" Says Trudge. "Trudge, wait!"

Trudge was already running for the exit. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"And once you tell me what I want to know, Yusei, its back to the Facility forever!" _Trudge thinks to himself.

Morning. Yusei has fallen asleep leaning back in a plastic-and-metal chair. "Rise n' shine, Yusei. Everything you'll need tonight is in the bag. Tell Tanner I'm puttin' this on his tab." Blister says. "Will do." Says Yusei. He stands up and reaches for the strap of the bag. "Look, man, I did everything I could. But the odds are still against you." Blister says. "Only people who have a choice worry about odds. I have to get my runner back, if I'm gonna get my friends out of the Satellite." Says Yusei. "Wait, what?! Hah! You're taking this huge risk for some friends?" Blister asks. Yusei turns around and looks at the picture, he knows what it's like to have a close friend. "His name's Arrow. We were best buds. You'll notice, of course, that I said 'were'. People come and go, Yusei. You make friends, you lose friends. That's how it goes. But trust me, at the end of the day, you realize that you shouldn't bother with friends. 'Cause the only thing a friend is good for is... finding the best way to let you down. You're better off just lookin' out for number one. I mean, after all, that's what everyone else does, isn't it?" Asks Blister. He looks back at Yusei. "We were on a practice run." Blister says.

Flashback. A younger Blister is riding a runner with a younger Arrow in a sidecar, goes over the side of a track and skidding down a hill, yelling all the way. "I lost control of the bike… the connecting cables tore apart." Says Blister, in voice-over. The fixture that connects the bike to the sidecar crumbles and frays, causing the two to separate entirely. Arrow looks up at Blister, reaching out a hand. "Blister!" Arrow says. "Grab my hand! Almost there!" Says Blister. He looks ahead, they're headed for the side of a huge metal building. "We were gonna slam into a building. I didn't have time to think, I just turned away." Blister says, in voice-over. In the flashback, Blister swerves away.

Arrow watches the only person who could have helped him ride away, numb with shock.

Blister skids and hits the ground, hard, thrown free of the runner. Blister lifts his head and can only watch. "Arrow... oh no... Arrow! Look out...!" Says Blister. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "He was stuck in the sidecar, he had no control. It was bad. He spent eight months in recovery." Blister says. He flinches and looks away. "And when he got out, he quit dueling. I never heard from him again. Except for this card he sent me. It was his part of our best combo." Says Blister. He walks over and picks up the card under the picture. "It's all torn and burned. I'm pretty sure it was his way of saying that he'd never forgive me. Ha. Not that I'd blame him, I wouldn't forgive me either if I was him! Don't take this risk for your friends, Yusei. 'Cause come crunch-time, they're gonna let you down. I mean, look at me. I let my best friend crash right into a building just to save myself." Blister says.

Yusei picks up the bag and heads for the door. After a moment of silence. "Try not to be so hard on yourself, Blister. And thanks for all your help." Says Yusei, measurably. He walks out the door.

Yusei leaves the room and walks down a hallway. _"I don't care what he says about friendship. Friends are the most important thing a person can have. Without them, you're nothing." _Yusei thinks to himself.

Blister is still staring at the card he picked up. _"I know what I did was wrong, but didja really have to throw it in my face, Arrow? __Talk about lame." _Blister thinks to himself. Outside the window, a runner engine whines. _"Huh?" _Blister thinks to himself. He goes to the window.

Below. Yusei can be seen walking out the front door and Trudge's wheel is peeking out of an alleyway.

_ "Someone's out there..." _Blister thinks to himself.

Trudge emerges from the alley, slowly, and follows the oblivious Yusei at a distance. _"I'm comin' for you, Yusei." _Trudge thinks to himself.

As Yusei is still walking, Skylara's metallic black runner pulls up next to him. Yusei stops and walks to the side of Skylara's runner. "Hey, Yusei." Skylara says. "Skylara." Says Yusei. "You need a ride to the Impound Center? I figured I would help you out once again. For my younger half-twin brother, that is." Skylara says. "You sure?" Asks Yusei. "Of course, hop on." Skylara says. She hands Yusei a spare helmet, he accepts it from her. Yusei then climbs on behind Skylara placing the helmet on, not knowing what to hold onto. "It's alright, Yusei. Your my brother. You can hold onto me if you want." Says Skylara. Yusei wraps his arms around her waist, in a firm, but loose hold. Skylara then revs the runner and takes off, actually doing a wheelie.

Sunset. Most of the lights are on inside the Impound Center. A familiar figure with a maintenance uniform on and a cap pulled down over his face, carrying a red duffel bag, emerges from a doorway and enters the flow of foot traffic, walking in the opposite direction from most of the crowd, who are leaving to go home.

As night falls and the workers leave for the day, the lights in the windows go out one by one, the shutters close and the place locks down.

Yusei peeks out of hiding in a closet somewhere, once more in his usual clothes and still carrying the duffel bag. _"So far, so good." _Yusei thinks to himself. A security droid rolls past through the hallway. _"Blister was right about those security droids. Time to move." _Yusei thinks to himself. He climbs a huge staircase, silently. _"Top floor, here I come."_ Yusei thinks to himself. He walks along a silent, empty hallway and finally reaches the large, shuttered door. _"This is it. Now I just hope this I.D. and passcode work."_ Yusei thinks to himself. He scans the card and then punches in a code on a blank 3x3 square keypad. Numerically, 5176 then cut away to the door opening. _"Nice."_ Yusei thinks to himself. He walks into a massive multi-level warehouse, full of large wooden crates. Yusei follows a GPS of some kind to a blip in one of the boxes. _"There we go."_ Yusei thinks to himself. He looks at the box he's now standing next to, sideways.

When Yusei reaches it, Skylara is leaning against it. "Skylara, how did you manage to get in here?" Yusei asks. "Blister has his ways and I have mine, as simple as that." Says Skylara. _"Reunited at last." _Yusei thinks to himself. He bends over to put the GPS back in his bag and is suddenly pinned down by spotlights.

"Hahahaha! I'm starting to think you like me, Yusei! Why else would you constantly go out of your way to make sure we keep meeting up like this? Although I gotta say, this is probably your craziest stunt yet! What on Earth were you thinking?" Trudge asks.

"I just want my duel runner back, Trudge, it is mine!" Says Yusei.

"Actually, that runner of yours is now the property of Sector Security! It's gonna be a patrol bike, or maybe they'll scrap it and turn it into a bunch of toasters, I'm not really sure!" Trudge says.

Yusei growls under his breath.

"As for you, it's back to the Facility! Get 'im, boys!" Says Trudge.

"I don't think so, Trudge. Remember me?" Skylara asks.

"Skylara? You're still alive? But that's impossible." Says Trudge.

"And yet, it is. I am here, very much alive." Skylara says.

Trudge's flunkies jump down from the ledge on which he is standing.

Yusei and Skylara spring up and land on the rim of the box with his runner in it.

Yusei then jumps in out of sight.

While Skylara jumps in the back of the box where she parked her runner.

Trudge jumps down. "Sorry, Yusei, but that runner is offline. So just come on out quietly!" Says Trudge.

He hears two motors rev.

"What is that?!" Trudge asks. The flunkies gasp.

In the darkness of the box, Yusei's familiar screen glows as it boots up. "Offline… please!" Says Yusei. He toggles the hand-grip, pushes the pedal and bashes through the side of the box, scattering debris, leaping over Trudge's head, neatly, and making a hairpin turn on landing to turn back the way he came, swerving to the side and bolts out the doorway through which he entered.

Skylara follows after Yusei and does much the same thing.

When the dust clears, the flunkies are all cowering. "…Don't let 'im get away!" They start to run after Yusei.

Trudge gets to his feet. "You asked for it." Trudge says.

The vault door is closing, Yusei and Skylara manage to dart through the door and zoom out into the hallway, narrowly.

They go no more than 200 feet before Yusei gets rammed from the side and scrapes against the wall, Trudge has already caught up. "Surprise! Come on, Yusei! Do you really think you can escape from me again?! I'll never stop chasing you, don't you get that?" Asks Trudge. Yusei responds by twisting the hand-grip and zooming ahead, kicking up sparks from the floor.

Yusei manages to catch up to Skylara and races alongside her. "Chase this!" Yusei says.

"So that's how ya wanna play things, is it?! Tell you what, I'll make you a deal! Give yourself up right now, and I'll forget the fact that you broke into the vault when I'm filling out the report!" Says Trudge.

"No chance!" Yusei says.

"You're not leaving me any choice, here. If you won't surrender, I'll have to make you surrender! With a duel!" Says Trudge. He presses a button on the screen and the image of 'Speed World' appears. "Duel mode engaged. Autopilot standing by." The computer says.

The image of 'Speed World' appears on Yusei's screen and the dashboard duel disk unfolds. "Overriding suspect's duel runner." Says the computer. _"I just need to buy time while I load up the building schematics to find a way out."_ Yusei thinks to himself. "Alright, Trudge… bring it on!" Yusei says.

Just then, the same thing happens to Skylara's runner and now she's forced to duel against Trudge, as well. "I guess this is a two-on-one duel now, Yusei. Think your feeling up to dueling alongside each other once again?" Asks Skylara.

"You know it." Yusei says.

"Let's ride!" Says Yusei, Skylara and Trudge.

"Let's get this duel started! I draw! And I summon Quillbolt Hedgehog in defense mode!" Yusei says. Quillbolt Hedgehog has 800 attack points, 800 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is a light type monster. A 3-D blueprint in green appears on Yusei's runner screen in a window on top of the duel. _"There's the schematics. If I can find a way to escape through that opening, I'm home free!" _Yusei thinks to himself.

"It is my move then! I summon Wham-Shell in attack mode!" Says Skylara. Wham-Shell has 800 attack points, 900 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is a water type monster. "I then place two cards face down and end my turn." Skylara says.

"Hahahahahaha! Get ready, Yusei! I draw!" Says Trudge.

The duelists' speed counters each increase to 1.

"And I summon Search Striker in attack mode!" Trudge says. Search Striker has 1600 attack points. "Search Striker, blast that Satellite's puny little monster!" Says Trudge.

"Hah?!" Yusei asks. It blasts a hole right through Quillbolt and he flinches against the light from the blast. "Hunnngh!"

"Next I place one card face down. Now what, Yusei?" Asks Trudge.

"You're about to find out!" Yusei says. He draws.

And all three sets of speed counters rise to 2.

"From my hand, I summon the tuner monster Junk Synchron!" Says Yusei. Junk Synchron has 500 attack points. "And since I successfully summoned Junk Synchron, I can also summon Quillbolt Hedgehog back to the field in defense position!" Yusei says.

"What?!" Asks Trudge.

"Sorry, Trudge, but this hedgehog's not done with you. Before it makes a move, though, Junk Synchron's gonna give it a little tune-up!" Yusei says. Junk Synchron pulls the cord on the engine on his back and lights up, then breaks into his three stars. These swirl together and form three rings of green light.

Despite his words, Trudge looks scared. "You think some synchro-summon is gonna throw me off?! You got another thing coming, Satellite!" Says Trudge.

Hedgehog floats between the rings and dissolves into its two component stars, creating a line straight through the corridor formed by the aligning rings, which blazes to a horizontal column of light, then… "Junk Warrior, let's rev it up!" Yusei says. Junk Warrior has 2300 attack points.

"It is my turn! I place Wham-Shell in defense mode and with him out, I can bring out another water type monster from my hand! I summon out, Gill Grunt!" Says Skylara. Gill Grunt has 900 attack points, 400 defense points and is a level 3 monster. "And now that I successfully summoned him, I can play my spell card 'Water Submerge'. And with it, I can summon out a third monster as long as it is another water type monster." Skylara says. She draws. "And it is! I summon out my water yeti Slam Bam to the field in attack mode!" Says Skylara. Slam Bam is a blue and white furred water yeti with four arms. Slam Bam has 1000 attack points, 1200 defense points and is a level 5 monster. "I can now synchro-summon with all three of these monsters! In order to bring out this guy!" Skylara says. Wham-Shell turns into its three stars and Gill Grunt turns into three large blue circles. Slam Bam then pounds on his chest and then enters through the three circles until he turns into a stream of blue light, as blue as clear water. Then out from the stream of light, emerges a dragon that hasn't been heard of yet. The dragon is blue-grey, feet and toes like a frogs with three toes, with two sharp horns, one on either side of his head. Instead of wings, on the middle of his head all the way to the end of his tail is a fin, just like a fish, and he has what looks like a gold, water jet-pack on him. His eyes are dark orange. Zap has 2700 attack points, 1000 defense points, is a level 7 monster and is a water type monster.

"What kind of dragon is that?" Asks Trudge.

"Zap is what's known as a water dragon! He may not have much of a name, but his name does go along with what he can do! Only consider yourself lucky that he can't use his ability until my next turn! So, I place a card face down and end my turn!" Skylara says.

"Too bad he can't stick around! You see I'm playing the trap 'Discord Counter'!" Says Trudge.

'Discord Counter' is a trap card that undoes an opponent's synchro-summon and returns both original monsters to the field in defense position.

"Looks to me like your Junk Warrior's about to break into pieces!" Trudge says.

Under Junk Warrior's feet, the floor lights up and zaps him. He explodes and Junk Synchron and Quillbolt are back.

"I hope you like those two, 'cause you're stuck with them for a while! 'Discord Counter' stops you from summoning a monster until the end phase of your next turn!" Says Trudge.

Yusei sighs and looks back at the schematic screen. _"I just need to get to that opening and get outta here." _Yusei thinks to himself. He revs and speeds ahead. _"So close!" _Yusei thinks to himself.

"Hmhmhmhmhm... Where d'ya think you're going?" Trudge asks.

As Yusei races for the opening, it begins to close. Yusei goes faster, but not fast enough. Yusei ends up turning away from crashing into the closed door, sharply.

Trudge laughs.

At a control panel somewhere. "Close E-five and A-seven barriers. Seal off the East Sector."

Doors begin to shut all around and Yusei makes turn after sharp turn to avoid crashing.

"There's no little hatch to wiggle through this time, you sewer rat! Ahahahahah!" Says Trudge.

"Ahhh!" Yusei says, groaning. Another door ahead closes, he banks, sharply.

"You're gonna hafta turn around and face the big cat! Now tell me why Goodwin's so interested in you, kid! Tell me and I might let you go!" Says Trudge. What he doesn't realize is that the only one who knows the answer to that is Skylara.

"Aaagh...!" Yusei growls under his breath.

"You've got nothing to say?!" Trudge asks. He draws.

And all three duelists' speed increase to 3.

"Well this'll get you talking! Haha! I summon Pursuit Chaser in attack mode! And now I've got these two monsters on my field, your Quillbolt and Junk Synchron are about to get blasted back to the scrap heap! Fire! Now here's the best part… since the monster Pursuit Chaser was destroyed in defense position you get hit with five hundred points of direct damage!" Says Trudge.

Yusei gets zapped. "Uggghhh...!"

"Hahahahaha! And with that, I slap one card face down and end my turn! Make your move!" Trudge says.

"Alright then!" Says Yusei. He draws the trap 'Confusion Chaff'.

All three duelists' speed increase to 4.

"I place one card face down, and end my turn." Yusei says.

"Ha! You're done, Yusei! You can't summon a monster for two more turns! Every possible escape route has been sealed off. You're totally trapped! The only thing waiting for you down this road is a dead end!" Says Trudge.

Yusei speeds for another closing door, banks around the corner, U's around another corner and into another hallway. Yusei skids hard to avoid another closed door and turns left.

"Heheheheheh. And I mean that literally, Yusei… you're headed straight for a wall!" Trudge says.

They zoom into the end of the hallway, and what looks like an elevator door. "Hm..." Says Yusei.

A little speaker flashes on his and Skylara's visors. "Keep going you two." Blister says, via-radio.

"Blister." Says Skylara.

"Is that you?" Yusei asks.

"Keep going forward!" Says Blister, via-radio.

"But, uh…" Yusei says.

"Go!" Says Blister, yelling, via-radio.

Yusei and Skylara exchange looks and decide to do what he told them. They then floor it toward the wall.

"No way! What's that punk doing?!" Trudge asks.

Ramming speed! "Haaaaaaaah!" Says Yusei, yelling.

He and Skylara are speeding straight for the elevator door wall.


	13. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12: The Take Back: Part 2_

Yusei and Skylara are racing down a hallway somewhere in the New Domino City Security Impound Center.

Trudge is right behind them. "You'll never make it out of here, Yusei! Huh. Unless of course you can drive through walls." Trudge says.

"Duck!" Says Blister, via-radio. "Hah!" Yusei says.

He and Skylara both duck.

"Huh?" Asks Trudge.

Suddenly, the elevator door explodes, just short of Yusei and Skylara's front wheels, they drive into the cloud of debris.

Trudge gasps and probably inhales as much smoke from the blast as humanly possible.

Yusei and Skylara emerge from the cloud of smoke into a vertical elevator shaft, in free-fall, but for the ends of the runners scraping along the wall.

Trudge follows right on top of them, literally. "Hahaha! You certainly know how to make an exit, don't you! I just hope your lifepoints are packing a parachute! Ha!" Trudge says.

"It is my turn! And now since it is my next turn, Zap can attack you now! But before he does, I equip him with this… 'Electricity Shock'! This gives his water breath a shocking boost! Now go and attack him with Water Strike!" Says Skylara.

Zap's electricity water breath attacks Trudge directly and his lifepoints are now 3400.

"I now end my turn!" Skylara says.

Trudge draws.

All three duelists' speed counters go up to 5.

"Because with five speed counters, I can now play the 'Speed Spell-Rapid Shotwing'! And for each speed counter I have, my Striker gets a hundred attack points! Here goes! And that means that with my monster all amped up, I can finally get a little payback for when you ditched me in that trash tube back in the Satellite! That's right, Yusei. You may have escaped from me in our last duel, but the power of my beasts are gonna have you back in the Facility before you can make it to the bottom floor! But first I'll take down the one who attacked me and cost me my lifepoints on her last turn! Search Striker, take out her lifepoints!" Says Trudge.

Skylara nearly loses her grip and ends up trailing above her falling runner, gripping it by one handlebar. Skylara's speed counters drop to 3.

"Skylara!" Yusei says.

"Haha, looks like you're just hanging on. Now! Pursuit Chaser, end this!" Says Trudge.

Skylara pulls herself closer to her runner, frantically, and reaches down with her other hand to press one of the face down activation buttons on the duel disk, revealing that the tips of her nails are slightly long and a bit sharp looking. Skylara also apparently grabs on with this hand and gets back on the runner. "I play my face down! 'Confusion Chaff'!" Skylara says.

It sends Pursuit Chaser spinning upward. "Come back!" Says Trudge.

"Oh, he will. See, my trap canceled his attack. But guess what? He gets to fight again. Only this time, it is against your own monster, Search Striker! Just watch!" Skylara says.

Trudge's monsters fight and Search Striker gets destroyed. "Striker. I'm gonna get you for that, Skylara. Just you wait!" Says Trudge. He places a face down.

"Skylara, brace yourself!" Blister says, via-radio. "Huh?" Asks Skylara. "Next stop, ground floor!" Blister says, via-radio.

Yusei and Skylara tilt their runners nose-upward to take the impact on the back wheel, they land, yelling a bit and puts the noses down to hit the ground running and get out of the elevator.

Trudge lands and ends up stuck in the shaft when the doors close. "Hey!" Says Trudge.

"See ya, Trudge!" Yusei says. _"Alright, now to get outta here..."_ Yusei thinks to himself.

Trudge bursts through the elevator doors one floor up and races after him and Skylara on a balcony above. "We're not done yet!" Says Trudge, yelling. He darts ahead, then bursts through the railing to land right next to Yusei. Trudge rams Yusei from the side. "Hey Yusei. I hope you like the Facility…" Trudge says.

He suddenly gets a boot to his face. Blister is riding between them and pushes Trudge out of Yusei's space, then apparently kicks him over. Trudge disappears behind.

"Blister? Wow, thanks man!" Says Yusei.

"Forget the thank-you's. I'm only here to check out my handiwork and see you don't get caught. 'Cause if word got out that I slipped up somehow, my reputation might not ever be able to recover. And don't go thinking this makes us friends or anything, got that? I already ruined one friendship." Blister says, wavering.

"Tell me about Arrow." Says Yusei.

Blister looks at the road, the background around his wheel changes as a flashback begins.

Flashback. A sunny day and a cheering crowd.

Blister and Arrow are in the middle of a duel, riding a green runner, with yellow racing stripes, the same one Blister rides now. "Fine. It's like I toldja before, we were tag-team duelists in the semi-pro league." Blister says, in voice-over. "We play Machiner Sniper! Now end this!" Says Blister. The monster from the ruined card under Blister's picture frame at home appears and blasts the enemy monster to pieces.

They win and raise a huge trophy together, possibly the one in the picture. Blister is actually smiling. "We were at the top of our game, and it was all because Arrow was a great competitor, and an even greater friend. He thought we'd be champs forever, but Arrow couldn't see the big picture. We were never gonna make the big money stuck doing tag-duels. I had to go solo." Blister says, in voice-over.

Fade to black. Into a shadowy hallway lit only by natural light from a door at the end, in which two men stand talking. "And so when a rep from KaibaCorp showed up one day with a case full a' money, how could I say no? I had a new sponsor, a new gig, and an open road right to the big leagues. I'm talkin' about duelers like Atlas, Phoenix, Truesdale. The legends. But was Arrow happy?" Asks Blister, in voice-over.

Back to a bright day, a cheering crowd and a dueling track. "Whadda you think?" Blister asks, in voice-over.

"Blister… I'm summoning out Machiner Sniper in attack mode." Says Arrow. "What?! Not him again! Whaddaya want us to lose this duel?!" Blister asks. "Why do you care about this anyway? I heard about the deal you made to go pro. I thought we were friends." Says Arrow. "Friendship doesn't pay the rent! You think I wanna spend my life in the tag-duel bush leagues? Come on! You don't get it!" Blister says. He doesn't notice just how hurt Arrow is. "Sorry." Says Arrow. Machiner Sniper gets destroyed. "Look at what you just did, Arrow! I might as well kiss my contract goodbye!" Blister says. "It's just... our friendship's all I've got." Says Arrow. "Well guess what… right now you've got nothing, then!" Blister says. Arrow looks ahead. "Huh?" Asks Arrow. "Ah!" Blister says.

Their opponents' runner is apparently spinning out. A piece of it flies off and hits the connector cables on their runner.

They lose control, jump the edge of the track and suddenly this seems familiar. "Aaaaaaaa-ugh!" Blister screams and then lands. The cables fray apart and separate. "Blister!" Says Arrow. "Grab my hand! Almost there!" Blister says. He veers off and flies free of the runner, leaving Arrow to stare, in shock.

"Arrow... oh no... Arrow! Look out...!" Says Blister. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "He was pretty banged-up and spent a few months in the hospital. He never let me say sorry. In fact, he only sent me that card you saw to remind me of what a bad friend I was. So the next time someone tells you about friendship, well you just remember what I did to my best friend. Huh! I hope these pals of yours are worth the risk. 'Cause if I know anything about friends, I bet that they hang out with you only because they want something from you in return!" Blister says.

"No, they're good people, Blister." Says Yusei.

"Tch! Nobody's good forever. So you better just watch out for yourself." Blister says.

"You are wrong! You are just too angry with yourself to see the truth!" Says Skylara. She sighs. "Blister, can't you see that your friend Arrow never wanted to hurt you?" Skylara asks.

"Huh?" Asks Blister.

"Sometimes friends... do some stupid things, huh?" Yusei asks.

"You can say that again!" Says Trudge.

"Huh?!" Blister asks.

"This duel ain't over yet, punk! Your move! Heheheheh, but, don't think it'll help you escape from me!" Says Trudge.

_"I better make a move so I don't end up back in lockdown!" _Yusei thinks to himself. He reaches for his deck. "Here we go!" Yusei says. On his screen, his speed counters are at 6 and his speedometer is at 164 km/h and fluctuating. "Time to rev it up! I summon Speed Warrior in attack mode! Now check this out, Officer, my Warrior's attack points are doubled!" Says Yusei.

"Ha! What a waste, Yusei! I activate my trap card! 'Power Bind'! Now Speed Warrior can't attack until next turn! And until then, his attack points are zero! Kinda like your chances of getting out of this duel without a one-way ticket back to the Facility! Sorry, Satellite, but that runner's staying put! Hahahahahahaha! But on second thought, maybe I should just crush it into a cube! I'll be sure to take pictures so you can hang 'em in your cell!" Trudge says.

"Whoa. He sure doesn't like you." Says Blister.

"If you think it's bad now, wait until I play this! 'Reactor Pod'!" Yusei says.

"A speed spell? Rrgh!" Says Trudge.

"And not just any speed spell, this one makes you take damage for Speed Warrior's original attack points!" Yusei says.

"Wow, you remind me so much of Arrow. You're not afraid of anything that guy throws your way." Says Blister.

"Well I'm sure Arrow wasn't scared because he had you as his teammate, and that's exactly how I feel right now having Skylara as my duel partner and you as my wing-man, Blister." Yusei says.

His speed spell blasts Trudge, his lifepoints are now 2400. "Rrrrgh, what else you got?! Or is that all for now?!" Asks Trudge.

"I'm just gonna play a face down, Trudge!" Yusei says.

"Now it is my turn! The best thing about Zap is that not only does he pack a powerful shock, but he can surely slide right past you and take you out! However, I think I shall spare you this turn and bring out a different monster to help Zap out! I summon out Stump Smash!" Says Skylara. Stump Smash has 900 attack points, 800 defense points, is a level 5 monster and is a light monster. "With him out, I can play my 'Eternal Light' spell card and use it to bring out a level 4 or below monster as long as it is another light monster!" Skylara says. She draws. "And it is, I summon out Zook!" Says Skylara. Zook has 800 attack points, 900 defense points and is a level 4 monster. "I then place a card face down and end my turn!" Skylara says.

"'Bout time! Now I draw!" Says Trudge.

All three sets of speed counters rise by one, Skylara's at 5, Yusei's at 6 and Trudge's at 7.

"And don't forget punk, Speed Warrior's got zero attack points! Which means he should be easy pickin's! Search Striker, attack!" Trudge says.

"Not so fast! I play my trap, 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow'! Sorry, Trudge. Not only is your attack canceled, but I get to place my 'Scarecrow' face down again! You'll have to try harder than that." Says Yusei.

"Is this what you had in mind? I play 'Final Countdown'! And this card's all about giving something to get something! The more face down cards I send to the graveyard, the more lifepoints you lose! Five hundred for one, fifteen hundred for three, and three thousand for four! And last I checked, you have fourteen hundred lifepoints! So by sending three face downs to my grave, you lose the duel and I win! I got one face down out there already, and come next turn I'm going to throw down two more and make three! And after that, Yusei, it's game over, Satellite! You got one turn left, make it count!" Trudge says.

"I just don't see how you can win this duel now, Yusei! No matter how fast you try and go, you can't outrun that card's effect!" Says Blister.

"Oh, no?" Yusei asks. He draws. "Just watch! Listen up, Speed Warrior. It's time for some defense! And next I'm summoning out Healing Wave Generator, to help generate a little more 'D' for myself!" Says Yusei. Healing Wave Generator has 800 attack points, 1600 defense points and is a level 4 monster.

Healing Wave Generator allows you to select one monster on your field and you gain lifepoints equal to that monster's level times one hundred.

"Now thanks to my Generator's special ability, I choose my level-two Speed Warrior, so that I can give my lifepoints a two-hundred-point boost! And with that bonus, it looks like you'll need four face downs to win this, and I don't plan on letting that happen." Yusei says.

"Rrrgh. We'll see, Satellite!" Says Trudge.

"If your goal is to make that guy even angrier, I'd call that combo a resounding success. I just hope you pull this off, Yusei!" Blister says.

"Me, too. I play two face downs and end my turn!" Says Yusei.

"Alright then, my move! I summon Stealth Elf in attack mode!" Skylara says. Stealth Elf has 1600 attack points, 1000 defense points, is a level 6 monster and is a light monster. "With her out on the field, she can automatically sneak in and attack you and all the monsters you have on your field! Now go, Double Stealth Daggers!" Says Skylara.

The attack is dead on and Trudge's lifepoints go down to 2200.

"And now that she has finished her attack, I can bring together all three of my light monsters to synchro-summon a very powerful light monster!" Skylara says. Zook fires off his firecracker and dissolves into its 4 stars. Stump Smash smashes the ground with his hammer-like hands and turns into 5 circles. The rings circle around Stealth Elf and she disappears into a light green stream of light. Then out from the stream of light forms a new creature. The creature is colored like a tree frog, the tip of the tail forms like a leaf, with four yellow horns on either side of its head and three yellow horns down the middle of its head. "Now Zap has some much needed help! Welcome to the field, Camo." Says Skylara. Camo has 2600 attack points, 1600 defense points and is a level 7 monster. "Camo is also a dragon, but unlike any other dragon you have seen! Camo, attack his lifepoints directly!" Skylara says.

He does and Trudge's lifepoints go down to 1400.

"I now end my turn." Says Skylara.

"My move then!" Trudge says.

Speed counters, his 9, Yusei 7 and Skylara 7.

"And I summon the tuner monster Torapart! And now I tune my Torapart and my Search Striker, in order to synchro-summon… Goyo Guardian!" Says Trudge. Goyo Guardian has 2800 attack points. "Now take out that Healing Wave Generator!" Trudge says.

"Don't you learn?! I can still play my 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow'! Huh?" Asks Yusei.

"Oh no you can't! See with Torapart in my graveyard, you can't trigger your trap this round! So it looks like 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow's' scaring nothing away! And now my Goyo Guardian's taking control of your Healing Wave Generator! So with your Generator on my side of the field, not only can I use its strength to fortify my defenses, but your own monster's gonna win this for me, Satellite! 'Cause now I get a power surge! To the tune of one hundred lifepoints for each level of the monster I pick! And by choosing my Guardian, I gain six hundred more lifepoints! I'm almost back to full power!" Trudge says. He raises both arms to welcome his new lifepoints. Trudge is up to 2000 now. "Haha! Yusei, there's nothing better than outsmarting a smart-alack! Heha, and don't think I forgot about 'Final Countdown'! So with this face down, you're one card away from losing!" Says Trudge.

"Hey, whaddaya doin'?! It's like I said, I can't afford to have you lose this duel and end up getting caught. 'Cause if you go down, so do I! So whadda you planning?" Blister asks.

"I'm planning on winning this duel, Blister! And your friendship's gonna make it all possible!" Says Yusei.

Blister stares at him, stunned.

"Blister, I need you to help me out here!" Yusei says.

"Listen, the last thing you want is me as a friend! Friends may get you through your day in the Satellite, but over here they just get in the way!" Says Blister.

"I know you don't believe that. I saw the card, Blister. The one that Arrow rescued from your last race. Remember?" Yusei asks.

Flashback to the burned and ripped card, and Blister standing in the corner looking at it. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Stop it! He gave me that card to remind me that I failed our friendship!" Says Blister.

"You are wrong." Skylara says.

"Huh?" Asks Blister.

"He gave you that card, as a symbol of your friendship. And no matter what road your two lives might have taken since that day, he is still your friend." Skylara says.

Flashback. The backside of the card, which appears to be glued back together, carefully. Arrow is lying on the ground amidst roiling smoke and embers, one outstretched arm holding the damaged card away from the fire. "Arrow doesn't blame you for the accident, he blames himself. He probably thought if he only supported you a little more, he could have been by your side all the way to the pro league. It isn't that he didn't want you to go, he didn't want you to go alone. So he gave you the only thing that mattered, the card that fused your friendship." Says Skylara, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "You know why? Because without his best friend, he didn't care about dueling anymore. However, if you ever needed help, you know Arrow would be there without a second to waste. Whatever you think, there is one thing in Arrow that hasn't changed. He is your friend." Skylara says.

Blister looks down at his runner.

Yusei puts a hand on his deck, ready to draw.

"I, don't know what to think..." Says Blister.

"Just one thing. That I am your friend, as well. Ever since you saved me that night three years ago." Skylara says.

Flashback. Skylara is three years younger. Skylara's sort of pulling herself along, being how injured she was. Her face is almost completely torn up, with open wounds where her scars now reside. Blood running down the open wounds that were there, almost having her face completely bloodstained. Skylara then pulls herself up to her feet, but staggers keeping herself up. With barely any strength to keep herself up, Skylara leans against a wall and slides down to the ground. Now it can be seen that a deep cut went down her neck to her collar-bone and that most of her collar-bone was cracked and managed to cut the skin open there. Her jacket is torn at the right shoulder, where blood is seeping through, revealing that she has a torn rotator cuff.

But just as she was about to give up all hope, Skylara feels a hand on her shoulder. Skylara could only get enough strength to keep her eyes open for a few minutes. When her vision came through, it was a younger Blister, but not as young as the photo. Skylara couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

The flashback then takes place to the next morning. When Skylara's vision is clear, Blister had seemed surprised that she had awakened. "I knew you would somehow make it through, kid." Says Blister.

The flashback then goes a few weeks later. Skylara had settled in with Blister. "Look, this is your home as long as you'd like to stay here. Anything I have is yours." Blister says. "Thank you, Blister." Says Skylara. "Okay, you know my name. So, what's yours?" Blister asks. "Skylara Galatea." The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "So, remember that I am your friend, as well." Says Skylara.

"Me too." Yusei says.

Blister lifts his head to stare.

Yusei draws his card. "It's my move! And I summon Turbo Synchron! And the bonus of having a tuner monster out here is that Quillbolt Hedgehog comes back from the graveyard! I think it's about time we take this battle to the next level! Now Turbo Synchron, take out his Healing Wave Generator!" Says Yusei.

"What?! He doesn't stand a chance against that monster! What, are all those diesel fumes choking all your brain cells?! You're gonna lose this one, Satellite!" Trudge says.

Turbo Synchron attacks and is rebuffed, Yusei is left with 100 lifepoints.

"Told ya! And now you're down to a hundred lifepoints! Nice knowin' ya." Says Trudge.

"Why, you plannin' on goin' somewhere? Or didya forget that when Turbo Synchron attacks, even if he loses, I can summon another monster, and I got just the one in mind. I didn't use 'er in our last match in the pipeline. Sonic Chick, say hello! Next I play my trap card, 'Urgent Tuning'!" Yusei says.

'Urgent Tuning' is a trap card that allows you to release the required monsters on your field in order to synchro-summon during the battle phase.

"So now by combining all the monsters on my field, I can use their bond to bring about a beast that will end this duel. I enjoyed my time at the Facility, but this synchro-summon is gonna make sure I don't go back!" Says Yusei.

"Oh man! Arrow played a similar combo in our first tag-team championship match! Yusei, you sure you can handle a move like this?" Blister asks.

"Don't do it!" Says Trudge.

"Sorry, Trudge. Now I tune my Turbo Synchron with my Quillbolt Hedgehog, Speed Warrior and Sonic Chick, to synchro-summon Turbo Warrior!" Yusei says. One by one, his monsters deconstruct into glowing golden outlines, then into stars. The stars soar into the sky and group together, then a ring aligns around them. A beam of light shoots straight through the ring and stars, parallel to Yusei and his runner... "Turbo Warrior, let's rev it up!" Says Yusei.

"What a move!" Blister says.

"Now Turbo Warrior, take out that Goyo Guardian!" Says Yusei.

"Huhuhuhuhuhuh... still can't add, can you, Yusei? Perhaps you can take remedial math back at the Facility! Maybe then you'll learn." Trudge says.

"Well? Let me teach you something first! Like what my Warrior can do! It cuts your Guardian's attack points right in half. Say goodbye." Says Yusei.

"What?!" Trudge asks.

"Yusei, you got 'im on the ropes!" Says Blister.

Turbo Warrior blasts Goyo Guardian, who resists the attack and keeps hanging on.

"Big deal. Even with half its strength gone I can still survive. But next round you're outta time, 'cause I'm activating my 'Countdown's' effect!" Trudge says.

"Hm. Next round? There is no 'next round', Trudge! I play 'Synchro Strike', which gives five hundred more attack points to my Turbo Warrior, for every monster I used to synchro-summon it!" Says Yusei.

"No!" Trudge says.

"And if my math is right, that adds up to your defeat!" Says Yusei.

"How can this be?! With that kind of power, I can't stop that warrior from wiping out all of my lifepoints!" Trudge says.

Turbo Warrior's attack points now read 4500.

"Ugh! I won't let you win!" Says Trudge.

"Look out!" Blister says.

"Ah!" Says Yusei, yelling. Trudge rams him from the side. "I don't care if I have to cheat to do it, but the only way you're getting outta here is with a Sector Security escort!" Trudge says.

Blister rides up and gets between them. "No!" Says Blister. "Ah! You too?! Fine, there's plenty of room in the Facility!" Trudge says. He tries to break through, but Blister is between him and Yusei, solidly, and might have just tangled his runner onto his. "Attack now!" Says Blister.

"I can't!" Yusei says.

"Just attack! Isn't this what friends are for?!" Asks Blister.

"They are." Skylara says.

"Ugh, back off! My friend's got a duel to win!" Says Blister, addressing Trudge.

Yusei and Skylara nod and both go into a sideways skid.

"Now... Turbo Warrior, finish the job!" Yusei says.

"Camo! Zap! Help Turbo Warrior win this!" Says Skylara.

Turbo Warrior soars into the air above Goyo Guardian, who swings his bladed chain and gets ready to fight back. Goyo's chain gets deflected by Turbo Warrior's metallic claw, which then begins to heat up as Turbo Warrior dives toward it, the impact is as though that one claw were as big as Turbo's whole body. Goyo Guardian shatters.

Trudge looks up at the completed battle, despairing. Camo and Zap combine their attacks and attack Trudge directly. "Aaagh!" Trudge screams. His runner screen shows an X and shuts down. Trudge and his runner collapse on top of Blister's runner. Blister himself is thrown off and lands next to it.

Yusei and Skylara look back. "Blister!" Both Yusei and Skylara say.

"Yusei! Skylara! Both of you just get out of here! Go!" Says Blister.

Yusei and Skylara ride toward freedom and come soaring out into the New Domino night, onto a spot surrounded on all sides by Security goons. At least thirty of the guys. Yusei and Skylara land their jump right in front of them and keep riding, looks more like about a hundred of them, all armed with tasers that zap Yusei, who takes Skylara's tasers for her, as they race headlong through the crowd.

Somewhere nearby, a little girl, with bright green pigtails, gasps suddenly. She's sitting at a coffee table with her twin brother, who wears his bright green hair in a bushy ponytail. "Oh!" "Huh? What is it?"

Yusei and Skylara are still flying through the sea of tasers, blindly...

...and somehow she feels that peril. She sits there, trembling, eyes wide and then jumps up, running for the door.

"Luna? Luna!"

Yusei crashes through a wall and into a pile of cardboard boxes, wooden boards and garbage cans, blind with pain. Yusei's now in a neat, clean concrete area, right outside Luna and her brother's apartment.

Skylara is lying on her side, against the wall and appears to be knocked out herself.

The twins run out the door and find Yusei, unconscious on the ground and in pain, a mysterious stranger in need. "Who... who is he?" They seem afraid to approach. Luna then turns to see Skylara in pain, even if she didn't get zapped herself. Luna recognizes Skylara and gasps. "Skylara!" Luna says.

She runs over to Skylara and kneels down beside her. Luna notices Skylara's sleeve on her left arm is torn and sees blood seeping through. "Skylara, wake up." Says Luna.

"Luna, calm down. She'll be okay. I wonder if this guy might've hurt her."

"No, I don't think so." Luna says. She brings herself closer to Skylara, placing her hands and head on her shoulder, worriedly.


	14. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13: A Duel To Remember_

A sparkling swimming pool surrounded by a lush garden. "Should we wake him up?" "I dunno. Look at that marker on his cheek." Luna says. "What about it?"

In the plush apartment to which this patio belongs, Yusei's runner is parked in a corner and the blinds are closed. The two green-haired young twins who found Yusei are conversing as they watch him sleep on the couch, anxiously. "Remember that weirdo who used to clean the pool? When dad came home and saw that guy had a mark on his cheek, he fired him! Dad said that mark meant he was in the Facility!" Says Luna. "So you think this guy was in the Facility too? Cool!" "That's not cool, you dork! People who've been to the Facility are bad!" Luna says. "Well, talk to his card spirits. See what they have to say about 'im." Luna rests her hand on top of the dueling deck sitting on the coffee table. "Well?" "They say that he's a very good person. They also say he's very sad." Says Luna.

Yusei is starting to open his eyes. "I wonder what he's sad about? Maybe he lost his dog, or his hamster…" "Shh! He's waking up." Luna says. Yusei looks up at the ceiling, then over at the twins. Yusei then sits up. "Who are you?!" Asks Yusei, startled. "We found you in the alley downstairs." Luna says. "You wrecked your bike." "You wouldn't wake up!" Says Luna. "So we brought you up here." "You're heavy!" Luna says. "My name's Leonard, but please call me Leo. This is my sister Luna. We're twins, in case you couldn't tell. Not identical twins, obviously. She's a she and I'm a he, but…" Leo's green hair is pulled into a single, high ponytail, with two shoulder-length bangs on both sides of his face. Leo's outfit consists of a short-sleeved, white jacket, over a sleeveless, dark blue shirt, with golden markings. Leo also wears white shorts, with a dark blue belt and blue sneakers of the same color. Leo also has a bracelet on each wrist. Leo's height appears to be 4'9" and his weight seems to be 77lbs. Luna's green hair is done up in two high ponytails on either side of her head, with two shoulder-length bangs on both sides of her face. Luna's outfit is similar to Leo's. Luna's outfit consists of a light pink, short-sleeved jacket, over a long-sleeved, red shirt, with golden markings that are different from Leo's markings. Luna also wears light purple shorts, with a red belt and sneakers, with black and pink markings and high socks. Luna's height appears to be the same as Leo's, 4'9", and her weight seems to be reminiscent to her twin, too, 77lbs. Both Leo and Luna have gray-gold eyes and they're eleven-years-old. Yusei reaches over and grabs his deck from the table. Luna gasps, cutting off Leo's babbling. "So, uh, who are you, mister? What's your name?" Asks Leo. "...I have no idea." Yusei says. He then stands up and looks around Leo and Luna's apartment. The decor is plain, understated, but fancy. There's a staircase leading to the rest of the split-level dwelling.

"I never met anyone with amnesia before." Says Leo.

"Where are we?" Yusei asks.

"Check this out." Says Leo, as he waves his hand. "Leo, just answer his question and tell him where we are!" Luna says. The curtains behind them open, revealing the lush and beautiful courtyard. "Cool, huh? It's on a motion sensor. We've also got a..." Says Leo. "You're in our apartment, in an area called The Tops." Luna says, interrupting him. "Nice, huh? It's the best place in New Domino City, only super-rich people can live here." Says Leo. "Leo!" Luna says, yelling.

"How did I end up in that alleyway?" Asks Yusei.

"I think I might know someone who has that answer." Leo says. "Who?" Asks Luna. "Skylara. I can get her for you if you'd like." Leo says. "Leo, she's asleep. When we found her, she was in almost the exact same state as this guy." Says Luna. "Yeah, but she helped us get him inside last night and she still knows who she is and our names." Leo says. "So what, her arm still got torn open badly. And last time I checked on her, she was getting feverish." Says Luna. "She told us it was just a headache." Leo says.

Yusei then steps between the twins to get them to stop arguing. "Hey, I have to agree with Luna on this." Says Yusei.

At the entrance to The Tops, down on the street... "Did you hear what I just said?! There might be a fugitive in there!" Trudge says. "I understand, Sir, but again… all street-level officers wishing to enter The Tops must present search and seizure form twenty-three-Q, which can be obtained by submitting an A-level warrant request to the district attorney, and then, upon approval, presenting the attempt to eh…" Trudge is becoming increasingly frustrated, not that he was calm to begin with and finally interrupts. "Blah blah blah! You've got some Satellite street rat in there wreaking havoc, just let me in!" Says Trudge. "All street-level officers wishing to enter The Tops must present search and seizure form twenty-three-Q, which can be…" "Gah! Alright, alright!" Trudge says.

"So how'd it go?" "Jeeves over there treated me like I was some second-class citizen." Says Trudge. The officer in the car seems kind of amused. "I toldja, Trudge, ya gotta be an A-level detective in order to get in there without a hassle." Trudge pounds the roof of the car with a fist. "These top Security cops actually think they're superior just because they guard the rich cats! But they're no better than us!" Trudge says. "Whaddaya want to do about the kid?" "He's definitely in there, I'm sure of it. He's gotta come out eventually!" Says Trudge.

Back in the twins' apartment... "There you go. Does that help any?" Leo asks. Yusei has put on his jacket, gloves, boots and the device on his arm that connects to his runner's built-in duel disk.

Luna is watching from the arm of the couch.

"Now that you've got your jacket on, take a deep breath and say 'My name is...' and then, say your name." Says Leo.

"He's tried that ten times! It's obviously not working, Leo!" Luna says.

"Well it worked on TV! I saw this guy in a show one time, he was helping people remember things they forgot…" Says Leo. Yusei looks around and his eyes fall on a poster of Jack, he gasps. Leo hasn't noticed and keeps talking. "Like where they left their keys and stuff... hey, what'cha lookin' at?" Leo asks. Beneath the poster is also a model of Jack, his runner and one of Red Dragon Archfiend. "Those." Says Yusei. "Huh? Oh, that's my shrine. Jack Atlas is like, my all-time hero. He's the greatest, no one can beat him in a turbo-duel! And one day I'm gonna be the champ, just like Jack!" Leo says.

"You can't even ride a normal bike." Says Luna.

"I stayed up for twelve seconds last time I tried! So does Jack Atlas mean anything to you?" Leo asks. Yusei thinks for a moment. "Yeah, but I don't know why." Says Yusei. "Maybe you're a fan of his, too. Or maybe you were hoping to duel him. I mean, you are a turbo-duelist." Leo says. "How d'you know that?" Asks Yusei. "Um, because we found you next to that duel runner!" Leo says. He points towards it. "Huh?" Asks Yusei. He walks over to his runner and looks at it.

"Am I right about you? Are you a big-time duelist in town to duel Jack?" Leo asks.

"I don't think I'm a 'big-time' anything." Says Yusei. He puts a hand on the runner.

"Well, Leo is right about one thing. He is a turbo-duelist. However, he isn't here to duel Jack in the tournament." Skylara says.

Leo and Luna look near the stairs.

Yusei brings his attention towards there, too.

"Skylara, what are you doing up?" Asks Luna.

"I have been up for some time. It is hard to sleep with you two bickering all the time." Skylara says. She reaches the bottom of the stairs. Skylara has her coat off for once, revealing that she's actually wearing long, black, detached sleeves on both of her arms, that go from her middle fingers to her biceps, ending in silver armbands. The scar from her torn rotator cuff is visible at this point, the scar goes slightly across the joint of her shoulder. Out of all the scars Skylara has, this one doesn't look as bad.

Leo and Luna then look down at the ground and look very put out for being scolded.

"Hey, are you their sister?" Asks Yusei.

"No, you should very well know that answer. Unless, you hit your head harder than I recently thought." Skylara says.

Leo runs up to her, stopping in front of her. "Skylara, he can't remember who he is or anything about himself. Do you know his name?" Asks Leo. "Yes, but if I just said it, he might not believe me. He has to figure it out for himself." Skylara says. "Oh, come on, Skylara. Give up the mystery girl routine already and tell him who he is." Says Leo. He accidentally pulls on Skylara's bad arm, causing her to react to it. Leo lets go after that. "Oh, I-I'm s-sorry. I forgot about your arm." Leo says.

Yusei walks over to Skylara and suddenly reaches for that arm. Yusei then quickly pulls his hand away. "You mind if I take a look at it?" Asks Yusei. Skylara lifts her arm up, he then places both of his hands near the wound. One hand under Skylara's arm, the other near the wound as Yusei examines it.

"Maybe you should try hypnotizing him, Leo." Luna says, sarcastically.

"I know!" Says Leo. He runs over and grabs an envelope off of the Jack shrine and brings it to Yusei. "Mister, maybe you have one of these! I'll take it out, you tell me if it looks familiar!" Leo says. "Okay." Says Yusei. Leo takes an invitation out of the envelope and hands it to him. Yusei takes his hands away from Skylara's arm to look the invitation over. "Well? Does this ring any bells?" Leo asks. "The 'Fortune Cup'?" Asks Yusei. "Yeah, it's this big tournament between a bunch of people KaibaCorp randomly selected! It's gonna be huge! And hey, hey get this! They selected me, I'm gonna be in it!" Leo says.

"Actually, they selected me." Says Luna.

"Rrgh. Technically they selected Luna, but she's too scared to enter, so I'm going to pretend to be her, and enter and then win that thing!" Leo says.

"No one's going to believe you're me, Leo." Says Luna.

Leo runs over to her.

Yusei watches them bicker, calmly, looks at the invitation, then back at them.

"Ugh, why wouldn't they believe it, we're twins, we look just alike!" Leo says. "I'm a girl? I'm pretty?" Says Luna. "I'll wear makeup." Leo says. "Leo wears makeup, Leo wears makeup!" Says Luna, in a singsong. "You know what I think, Luna? You're jealous." Leo says. "Why are we even arguing about this?" Asks Luna. She then leans closer to Leo. "We still have a bad guy in our house." Luna says, in an audible whisper, looking at Yusei. "You don't know for sure that he's a bad guy, Luna! Maybe he was framed for a crime he didn't commit! That happens, you know, I saw it on TV once!" Says Leo. "Um, he's still in the room." Luna says. "Huh? Uh..." Asks Leo.

"Thanks for trying to help me and everything, but this Fortune Cup thing isn't ringing any bells." Yusei says. He throws the invitation, it lands right back where it was, beautifully.

"Huh...?" Asks Leo.

"I should get outta here." Yusei says.

"Ohh, where you goin'?" Asks Leo.

Yusei presses a button and the door next to it slides open. "I shouldn't trouble you guys anymore." Yusei says.

"But you still don't know who you are! I got it!" Says Leo. He runs over and rummages in the closet.

"Just let him go, Leo." Luna says.

"No wait! Just, ah..." Says Leo. He puts his duel disk on. "Okay!" Leo says. He then runs back over to Yusei. "Before you go, mister, I've got one more idea! I challenge you to a duel, Mr. Amnesia Man!" Says Leo.

"He's got more important things to do." Luna says.

"This could help him! I saw it on TV this one time, Jack Atlas was giving an interview, and, Jack said that the way a duelist duels reveals who he really is! So if you duel, you might remember who you are! Come on! Come on! Come on! Let's duel!" Says Leo. His duel disk slips down around his bicep. "Dumb thing never stays on right. This is embarrassing. Just…" Leo says.

Yusei has a vision, he reminds him of Rally. "…Just gimme a second, I'll fix it up and we'll be good to go." Says Rally, in a vision.

Yusei starts to smile. "Just hang on, I gotta jimmy the thing with the… put the…" Leo says. "I think you're reminding me of somebody. I dunno who, but this might be good. Let's do this." Says Yusei. "You mean it?!" Leo asks. Yusei pushes a button on his runner to grab his own duel disk. "Disengaging duel disk." Says the computer. "Sweet! Good thing you remembered how to do that." Leo says. He then gets excited. "Oh man, I'm gonna show you moves you've never seen before!" Says Leo. His duel disk slips sideways. "Hunhh...?" Leo asks, sighing.

"Just let me help Skylara with her arm and we'll get this duel underway." Says Yusei. He then takes Skylara's arm into his hold, seeing how much the tendon in the bicep is torn.

Outside on the patio, Yusei finishes with Skylara's arm, that's now bandaged all around the tear in her bicep. Skylara readjusts her detached sleeve, that she had rolled down so Yusei could work on her arm, and slips her armband back on. Skylara then regains her long, black coat and puts it back on.

Leo's still struggling with his duel disk. "Aw, come onn..." Leo says. "Let me help." Says Yusei. He kneels down to work on the duel disk. "So, where're your parents?" Yusei asks. "Oh, they're on a really important business trip." Says Leo. "They're always on important business trips." Luna says. She starts walking towards a bench, looking a little upset at the subject.

"I shall go talk to her. She just needs a girl to talk to, that is all." Says Skylara. She follows after Luna.

"Skylara's in charge of us, but she's always really busy at work. So it can be days, weeks, sometimes even months until she comes by and checks in on us. But, she always tries to make an attempt to contact us and make sure we're okay and doing what we're supposed to be doing. We have tutors and stuff that come by every now and then, but mostly…" Leo says.

"So you don't know who you are, but you remember how to duel?" Asks Luna.

"See, the thing about Luna is that she doesn't understand that not having our parents around all the time is the coolest." Leo says, whispering to Yusei. Yusei laughs. "I see." Says Yusei. He has finished tying down Leo's duel disk with a thin strip of cloth. "Well, how's that?" Yusei asks. Leo waves his arm, experimentally. "Uhhh... it's perfect! Thanks, Mr. Amnesia Man!" Says Leo. "Whaddaya say, you ready to duel? You can have the first turn, Leo." Yusei says. "Yeah!" Says Leo, shouting.

Luna and Skylara are watching from a bench. "Ugh..." Luna says, sighing.

"I should warn you, my deck rules!" Says Leo.

"I'm... sure it does." Yusei says.

"Here we go!" Says Leo.

"Let's duel!" Both Leo and Yusei say. Both duelists start with 4000 lifepoints.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the duel is on! The amazing Leo draws!" Leo looks. "That's what I'm talkin' about! I'm calling out Morphtronic Celfon!" Says Leo. The ground glows and a big cell phone appears, its buttons lighting up. It unfolds into a robot. Morphtronic Celfon has 100 attack points, 100 defense points and is a level 1 monster. "Yeah! This guy's sweet! Now my Morphtronics' special abilities change depending on whether they're in attack or defense mode! And since Morphtronic Celfon's in attack mode, it dials and randomly stops somewhere between one and six! Then I take that number and flip over the same number of cards, if any of those is a level-four-or-below Morphtronic monster, then I can summon it! Here we go-o-whoa..." Leo says. He tilts to the side a bit, his duel disk makes his left side far heavier than his right.

Luna sighs.

"You okay?" Asks Yusei.

"It appears that Leo's duel disk is a little heavy."

"You should know, he narrates his duels..." Luna says, addressing Yusei.

"We need silence in the arena, people! This is a critical moment! The Celfon is dialing… Now!" Says Leo. The number pad on Celfon's chest flashes, randomly picking a button 1-6. "And it stopped on three! The crowd is tense." Leo says. He squints, just barely looking at the cards he drew. "Look at this! One of the cards the amazing Leo has flipped is a level-three Morphtronic Magnen! That means he can summon it!" Morphtronic Magnen is a magnet that folds out to become a robot. "The crowd goes wild! Awesome! Nice one, yeah, woohoo!" Says Leo, imitating the crowd. Morphtronic Magnen has 800 attack points, 800 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is an earth type monster.

When the monster card Morphtronic Magnen is in defense mode, your opponent cannot attack any other monster except this one.

"Next I place one card face down and end my turn! And now… will Mr. Amnesia Man rise to the challenge?!" Leo asks.

"Sometimes I can't believe I'm related to him..." Says Luna.

"I hope this jogs my memory..." Yusei says. He draws. "I summon Speed Warrior!" Says Yusei. Speed Warrior has 900 attack points, 400 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is a wind type monster. "And during the whole turn that Speed Warrior is summoned to the field, its attack points are doubled." Yusei says.

"They're doubled?!" Asks Leo.

"That's right!" Yusei says.

"Celfon is doomed! But wait, what's this, ladies and gents? The amazing Leo activates a trap card! But will it be enough?"

Speed Warrior stops short, as Magnen leaps into action.

"Amazing! Leo has used his 'Morphtransition' trap to put his Morphtronic monster in defense mode so he could block the attack!"

"I think my memory's coming back!" Says Yusei.

"Looks like Leo's already on the path to victory, people, there's no defeating him!"

"It's a little early to get cocky." Luna says. "I agree." Says Skylara.

"Just you wait!" Leo says. He then turns to Yusei. "You're gonna end your turn now, right?" Asks Leo.

"I am." Yusei says.

"Well in that case I'm up! I draw! Aah!" Says Leo. His duel disk tips him to the side again.

"Maybe you need a smaller duel disk." Luna says.

"No I don't! From my hand, I summon another Morphtronic Magnen! But this time, it's in defense mode!" Says Leo.

"Huh?" Yusei asks.

The two Magnens turn toward each other and start to shoot electricity in between, creating a wall. "Admit it, that's pretty awesome. When there's one Magnen on the field in defense mode, you can't attack any other monster. But this is an even better defense system because now on the field I got two Magnens! Which means, I'm invisible!" Says Leo.

Yusei smiles.

"I think you meant to say that you are invincible." Skylara says.

Meanwhile, down on the streets... "…The streets are blocked." "…Get into position!" "Put your squad on the west gate, check everyone leaving the building! Old ladies, everyone!" Says Trudge.

Blister peeks out from behind a building nearby.

Trudge and his goons pin down every exit to the Tops.

_"Those Sector Security guys have got the building surrounded. And if you don't figure a way out, Yusei. __Y__ou're going back to the Facility for good." _Blister thinks to himself.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is incredible! If Mr. Amnesia Man tries to attack the first Magnen, the second Magnen will absorb the attack! If he tries to attack the second Magnen, the first Magnen will absorb the attack! It's… magnalock! Mr. Amnesia Man has no hope whatsoever of breaking through Leo's defense! The unstoppable Leo is driving the crowd totally crazy!"

"You got that right." Skylara says.

"Now I'm going to use Celfon's special ability again… the Celfon is dialing... now! What's it gonna be? Where's it gonna stop? And it's a two! Which means Leo can draw two cards! And again he's got a Morphtronic that qualifies! He summons directly to the field Morphtronic Datatron, in attack mode!" Morphtronic Datatron has 1200 attack points, 600 defense points and is a level 3 monster. "That's only the beginning of the awesomeness. From my hand I activate the 'Gadget Box' spell card! And thanks to this bad boy of a card, I'm now able to summon out one Gadget Token once every turn! So here comes the first!" Says Leo.

"How does he think a monster with no attack points and no defense points is gonna help?" Luna asks.

"I've gathered all the parts! Now for Datatron's special ability! By releasin' one monster from the field, I can have Datatron dish out six hundred points of direct damage! So by removing my Gadget Token... I can now attack you! Go, Datatron Corruptor Cannon!" Says Leo.

Yusei's lifepoints fall to 3400. _"He uses weaker monsters in ways you wouldn't expect... that reminds me of..."_ Yusei thinks to himself.

Flashback. Yusei is dueling on his runner. "I summon Sonic Chick in defense mode!" Yusei says.

Flashback changes to his duel against Lenny, the bug duelist. "I summon out Speed Warrior!" Says Yusei.

Flashback changes to his duel with Jack in the Kaibadome. "I summon Quillbolt Hedgehog in defense mode!" Yusei says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I did it, I did it, I did it! I told you that combo could work, Luna! But you didn't think I could pull it off! But I did it! The crowd's going crazy for Leo's spectacular Morphtronic deck!"

"Isn't it the end of your turn now?" Asks Luna.

"Oh, yeah, uh, got carried away. Make your move, Mr. Amnesia Man." Leo says.

Yusei is frowning, quietly, maybe he's regained his memory. "Hm." Says Yusei.

In a skyscraper somewhere in New Domino with a propeller on top... "What's the status on the Fortune Cup?" Goodwin asks. "The invitations were mailed out as requested. Only one remains unsent. Hnhnhnhnhn..." Says Lazar. "I assume that one is Yusei's. Where is he?" Goodwin asks. "He recovered his runner. But when he did, that Officer Trudge was there and he chased Yusei to the Tops. Now Trudge has the place surrounded." Says Lazar. "Wasn't Trudge told to back off?" Goodwin asks. "Some people just don't listen. Perhaps I should go to him in person and remind him who's in charge before this situation gets out of hand..." Says Lazar. Goodwin looks away, he is angry.

Back at the Tops... "It's my turn! I send one card to the graveyard in order to activate the 'Card Rotator' spell card!" Yusei says.

"What's that do?" Asks Leo.

"Well, 'Card Rotator' changes the battle mode of every monster on your field." Yusei says.

"Huh?! As in, all of 'em?" Asks Leo. The card zaps all of his monsters and all of them transform to the opposite mode. "Uh... ladies and gentlemen, we're seeing an awful turnaround. The magnificent Leo, though it's hard to…"

"Ugh! Stop narrating, Leo! Just focus on staying in the duel!" Luna says.

"But I'm toast!" Says Leo.

Yusei laughs. "Not yet!" Yusei says.

"Huh?" Asks Leo.

"But after I summon Junk Synchron ya might be!" Yusei says.

"Ah! I am totally gonna lose!" Says Leo.

"Well, with Junk Synchron in play, I can summon a level-two or below monster from my graveyard in defense mode. So I summon to the field… Nitro Synchron!" Yusei says.

"This means he can synchro-summon a level-seven monster now!" Says Leo.

"Nuh-uh." Luna says.

"Yuh-huh! He's got a level three, a level two, and another level two! If you add them up you get seven, which brings out a level-seven synchro monster!" Says Leo.

"True, except that in order to synchro-summon I can only use one tuner." Yusei says.

"Huh?" Asks Leo.

"Junk Synchron and Nitro Synchron are both tuner monsters. So, he can't use them both." Skylara says.

"Watch and learn. I tune Junk Synchron with my Speed Warrior, in order to bring out… Junk Warrior!" Says Yusei. Junk Warrior has 2300 attack points.

"Whoa man, that's pretty cool!" Leo says.

"And next I tune my Nitro Synchron with my Junk Warrior. Now I'm gonna rev it up, with one of my favorites… Nitro Warrior!" Says Yusei.

Nitro Warrior is a level-seven, fire-attribute synchro monster with twenty-eight-hundred attack points and eighteen-hundred defense points.

"You said one of your favorites! Does that mean you remember who you are? Did it work? I knew it would, I knew it! I was…" Leo says.

"Hey, Leo! Get ready, 'cause my Nitro Warrior's de-magnetizing your Magnen! I sure hope the amazing Leo is ready for an amazing move by my Nitro Warrior!" Says Yusei.

Leo's lifepoints go down to 2000. "The crowd isn't liking this..." Leo says.

"Well then the crowd definitely won't like Nitro's special ability. See, when it destroys a monster in battle, it can switch one of your monsters in defense mode to attack mode, and then it can battle against that monster." Asks Yusei.

"Aah...?" Leo asks.

"So I'm switching your Celfon back to attack mode!" Says Yusei.

"No way!" Leo says.

Yusei laughs. "Sorry, but yes way. Nitro Warrior, attack Celfon with Dynamite Crunch!" Says Yusei.

"Aaaaaaaaaggggh...!" Leo loses the rest of his lifepoints, the duel's over.

"Huh?" Luna asks. She walks over to Leo, who is whimpering and trying really hard not to cry. "Leo, don't cry when you lose." Says Luna. Leo wipes his eyes. "I'm not crying!" Leo says.

Yusei joins them and Skylara stands at his side. "Yeah, don't be upset. Dueling with you helped me to remember who I really am! So thanks. Thanks for helping me to get my memory back." Says Yusei. "Huh?" Leo asks. "Now howbout I give you a couple a' pointers to say thank you for helpin' me out, Leo?" Asks Yusei. "Huh?" Leo asks. "See, you're a really good duelist, but by spending all your time and energy getting your monsters where you wanted them to be, you didn't leave room to anticipate any counterattacks. Your Morphtronic monsters can adapt, now you just need to learn how to do the same." Says Yusei. He laughs. "Jack Atlas certainly can!" Yusei says. "Hm." Says Luna. She puts a hand on Leo's shoulder. "I thought you did really good, Leo." Luna says. "So, um, are you gonna tell us who you are?" Asks Leo. "Um, I'm not sure that's a good idea." Yusei says. "Aw come on, pleeeeease?!" Asks Leo. Yusei points at his cheek. "You see this marker? Trust me, the less you know about me the safer you'll be." Yusei says. "Okay, but, if I don't know who you are, then how can I be your friend?" Asks Leo. "I think that's kinda the point, Leo. He's saying he can't be our friend." Luna says. "Yes he can!" Says Leo. "At least crash with us for the night, mister. It's getting late." Luna says. "Ah! That'll be awesome! And then maybe in the morning you can tell us who you are!" Says Leo. "Leo!" Luna says. "What?" Asks Leo.

Day turns to night. Trudge yawns._ "Just come out already, Yusei." _Trudge thinks to himself.

Interior of the twins' apartment. Luna is sleeping, curled up with a teddy bear, wearing pink pajamas and a pink nightcap. Luna sleeps with her hair out of the ponytails, which brings her hair down to shoulder-length.

Leo is sprawled in all directions, his blanket thrown off. Leo's wearing light blue pajamas, with his hair out of the ponytail, too, his hair length is the same as Luna's, shoulder-length.

Yusei is working at the coffee table, quietly, leaving the twins' duel disks on the table.

Yusei then walks over to Skylara, half-asleep on the couch, only isn't looking to well. Yusei kneels down on one knee and touches Skylara's shoulder.

Skylara's eyes are open, but they don't look up at him. "You feelin' okay, Skylara?" Yusei asks. "I think my fever is starting to return." Says Skylara. Yusei removes one of his gloves and places his hand on her forehead. "I think your right. Your head is feeling warm." Yusei says. He then takes his hand away from her forehead and places his glove back on. Yusei stands back up to his feet. "Come on, I'll help you up." Says Yusei. He takes a hold of one of Skylara's hands, his other arm wrapped around her shoulder-blades with that hand touching near her ribs. Yusei helps Skylara sit up and then to her feet, only she isn't staying up very well. "Okay. I know I haven't done this for you in years, but I think right now it might be helpful." Yusei says. He then pulls Skylara onto his back and carries her on his back. Yusei doesn't mind, considering Skylara's his sister. They then leave, quietly.

Yusei and his runner take the elevator down from the 48th floor. _"I hate to duel and dash, you two, but it's for your own good. If I stick around here, you'll only get in trouble." _Yusei thinks to himself. He inches his runner out of the elevator, already astride it, as the elevator door closes. Yusei looks in each direction, pulls down the side bar, on which he rests his left arm and lowers his visor. The screen boots up and some hydraulics kick in to raise the seat and ready the runner for motion. Yusei pivots and shoots away down the empty alleyway.

Out in the well-lit New Domino night, Yusei is riding along when his way is blocked by Trudge on his runner. Trudge blocks Yusei's way, going into a sideways skid. "I was starting to think you didn't like me!" Says Trudge.

Both of them stop, but Yusei knows Skylara's in no condition for something like this right now.

"I'm here to take you in, Yusei!" Trudge says.

Blister is watching from behind a corner. _"Man, that guy never gives up." _Blister thinks to himself.

"So, ya gonna come quietly?" Asks Trudge.

Yusei doesn't say anything, just revs his engine and begins to turn away.

Trudge follows suit, immediately. "That's what I was hoping you'd… what the?!" Trudge asks.

"Huh?!" Asks Yusei.

Before either one can take off, their way is blocked by a car with Security's logo emblazoned on the side. Its headlights blind them, as Lazar steps out of it and walks toward them.

_"And the plot thickens."_ Blister thinks to himself.

"Officer Trudge. Aren't you supposed to be guarding the 'Candles and Calendars' kiosk at the Outer Rim Mall?" Lazar asks.

Skylara knows that voice anywhere and summons the shadows, engulfing her within and she's gone.

"I didn't get your name, shortstack." Says Trudge.

Lazar flashes an ID badge. "Special Deputy Lazar. I work for the Director-General. And I outrank you, sorry. Hahahahaha!"

"How come I've never heard of you?!" Trudge asks.

"I'm on official business, Officer Trudge. I would advise you to leave the area immediately." Says Lazar.

"This punk's a menace, he stole that duel runner from the Impound Center…!" Trudge says.

"Officer. There is very little room in this city for street-beat cops who don't know their place or when to shut their mouths!" Says Lazar.

"Like you, Lazar."

"Huh?" Lazar asks. When he looks, 'Skylar' steps out of the shadows of the night.

Yusei seems a little surprised.

"Well, well, if it isn't Skylar Alektra. I haven't seen you around lately, it's been awhile. I have a message for you anyway, Director Goodwin says that he'll need you working during the Fortune Cup tournament." Says Lazar.

"For what, to be a bodyguard for Jack?" Skylar asks.

"Actually, yes. That's precisely what Goodwin wants." Says Lazar.

"Very well." Skylar says.

"So what official business are you on?" Asks Yusei.

"Delivery." Lazar says. He hands Yusei an envelope and a photo. "For Mr. Yusei Fudo." Says Lazar. Yusei gasps when he sees what he holds in his hand, the picture is of Blitz, Tank, Rally and Nervin. "We'd like for you to participate in the Fortune Cup. If you refuse, the four people you see in that photograph will pay the penalty for the rogue actions you took in obtaining that runner. Have a good evening. Hmhmhmhmhmhm..." Lazar says.

Yusei sits there stunned, the envelope in one hand and the photo in the other, as the receding car headlights leave him in darkness. Yusei clenches the envelope in a fist, the retreating car reflected in his visor.

Above, the moon is full. The shadows then recover Skylar and she's back to being Skylara. Skylara suddenly collapses to her knees and then into Blister's arms, bringing her to the ground, gently.

Yusei then gets off his runner and runs over to Skylara, falling to his knees when he reaches her and Blister. "Skylara." Says Yusei, worriedly.


	15. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14: Bloom Of The Black Rose_

Nighttime, somewhere in the bad part of town... "This is the place, Yusei." Blister says. He lifts a shutter-style door, he also walks Yusei's runner inside. Yusei is carrying Skylara on his back, she ended up falling asleep at some point. "You'll be safe here until the Fortune Cup. Not quite five stars, but it's got all the creature comforts you would expect for this part a' town. Cockroaches, mice, stray cat." Says Blister. He flicks on the lights. "Thanks… I think." Yusei says. Blister almost laughs. "I decorated the place myself. Now, get some rest. You still haven't recovered from that fall you took, and if you plan on dueling and winning the Fortune Cup, you'll need a clear head." Says Blister. "I'll rest, Blister, when my friends are safe." Yusei says. He walks out the door to look out into the night.

"Pfft. I hear ya, Yusei, but you're no good to anybody if you don't have all your strength." Says Blister.

Yusei looks up at the tall, sparkling skyscrapers at the center of the city, visible over the local rooftops. "Don't worry. I heal real quick." Yusei says. _"And I'm gonna show Goodwin just how good I feel!"_ Yusei thinks to himself.

"Hey, Yusei. You want me to take her?" Asks Blister.

Yusei looks back over his shoulder to Skylara, still asleep on his back. "No, I've got her. She may not look it, but she's very light in weight." Yusei says.

"You treat her more than just a friend, ya know?" Asks Blister.

"Well of course. She's my sister." Yusei says.

"Very true. I can see the resemblance." Says Blister.

"Well, we're not full blooded siblings. We're half-siblings, but we're also twins. Neither of us understand how that's even possible to be twins and half-siblings, but it's true." Yusei says.

"So, who's older and which parent do you both share that makes you two half-siblings anyway?" Asks Blister.

"Our foster mom told us that, according to our birth records, Skylara and I are related because we have the same mom. And Skylara's actually older than me by a day and two hours, according to our birth records." Yusei says.

"Oh, I didn't know you two were adopted. I'm sorry, she never told me." Says Blister.

"That's because she forgot about all of this for three years. Remember?" Yusei asks.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. So, you two are twins, born a day and two hours apart from each other, and have different dads?" Asks Blister.

"Yeah, but we don't know anything about our individual dads. Or anything about our mom, for that matter." Yusei says.

Blister soon ends up leaving to get some sleep.

After Blister's gone, Yusei walks inside and places Skylara on the couch, gently. Yusei then sits himself on the ledge of the couch, in order to watch over Skylara as she sleeps.

Morning, at the twin's apartment in The Tops.

Leo is in a tizzy. "He's gone! No! No! No! No! No no no nooo!" Says Leo.

Luna comes downstairs, rubbing her eyes. "Tooth fairy forget you again?" Luna asks.

"Luna! He took his runner and left!" Says Leo.

Luna is now wide awake. "Well did he leave a note or something?" Luna asks.

"No!" Says Leo. He runs back and forth, in hysterics.

Luna approaches the coffee table where their duel disks have been laid out, neatly.

"Skylara's gone, too. She must've went with him. Oh, that's no fair." Leo says.

"Well, I think Skylara and him are friends, Leo." Says Luna.

"This is all your fault! You should've been nicer! He was going to teach me to be the best duelist ever…" Leo says.

"Would you calm down?" Asks Luna.

Leo sees the duel disks on the table and gasps. Both duel disks have been modified and made smaller. "Look at these!" Luna says. "Oh! What'd he do to them?" Asks Leo. He puts it on. "It fits now! So how does it look, Luna?" Leo asks. "Pretty good. Now I just wish we knew who he was so we could thank him." Says Luna. "Well it's his own fault for not telling us his name." Leo says.

As he speaks, flashback to Yusei sleeping on their couch, then his duel with Leo and the ominous Facility mark on his cheek as he told them that 'the less they knew about him, the safer they were'. "I mean, he had amnesia. We helped him. If he wanted a thank-you, he would've stayed." Says Leo, in voice-over. "I guess so, but why no goodbye?" Luna asks, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Maybe he wanders the city streets and helps out struggling duelists, kinda like a knight in shining armor, but with a deck." Says Luna. "A knight? Sounds more like a superhero, and his name's some big secret." Leo says. "Mmmm." Says Luna, sighing. The computer gives a beeping ring. "Oh!" Both Leo and Luna say.

Leo runs over and answers it on the second ring. "What up, my main man?!" "Dexter, get this! Some guy…" Says Leo. "Boss, there's no time for that! I got us a lead!" Dexter says, via-screen. "A lead?" Asks Leo. "Duh! The Black Rose?" Dexter asks. "Come on, Dex! The Black Rose is just some urban legend!" Says Leo.

"You miss me, Dexter?" Luna asks, coquettish

At Dexter's house across town, as they continue to talk. "Uh, no. Listen, the Black Rose is no legend. She's the most amazing duelist ever, her cards come alive! I know where she is, and I rebuilt my deck to take her on!" Says Dexter. "So where is she, Dexter?" Leo asks, via-screen. "I was scannin' some blogs earlier this morning, and check this out. There's a rumor going around saying she's gonna pop up at the street duels, today!" Says Dexter. Leo brandishes his duel disk. "Then let's go!" Leo says, via-screen. "Leo! How come your duel disk isn't falling off anymore?" Asks Dexter.

At the twins apartment, Leo now gets to tell his story. "Right, so this superhero stops by and…" Leo says. "He's not a superhero, Dexter, he's a knight." Says Luna, interrupting him. Leo growls under his breath. "What're you two talkin' about, who fixed up your duel disk?" Dexter asks, via-screen. "Okay. This guy's duel runner is red, and…" Says Leo. Luna grabs him. "Leo." Luna says, whispering. "Huh?" Asks Leo. "Until we know more about this guy, maybe we should keep this between us." Luna says, whispering. "Okay, good point." Says Leo, whispering. "Hey! What's goin' on?" Dexter asks, via-screen. "Eh-heh, nothing. We were just discussing how much we really like your new bowtie. Listen, we gotta go now, see ya." Says Luna. She then clicks it off. "Listen, this is our secret." Luna says. Leo nods. "Hm. Luna, you think Mr. Amnesia Man flies or has a jet-pack?" Asks Leo.

Neither. The dashboard of Yusei's runner, as he activates the duel disk portion. Jacket off and hung on the top of the runner, Yusei sets to work, with a small-tipped tool attached to a cord, possibly a motorized screwdriver or soldering iron. Yusei uses the tool for a bit, then holds it in his teeth, as he works with his hands.

Blister is sitting on the arm of the modest couch on the other side of the runner, while Skylara is still in a very deep sleep through all the noise somehow. "So what exactly did that purple-haired freak say to you about dueling in the Fortune Cup? Well?" Blister asks.

"Hm." Says Yusei. He stands up to get the invitation out of his jacket pocket. "It wasn't what he said, but what he showed me." Yusei says. He throws the invitation.

Like any duelist, Blister catches it, effortlessly. Blister opens it, seeing the invitation and the picture that came with it. "So these're your friends, huh?" Asks Blister.

"Yeah, and if I don't show up to the Fortune Cup, Goodwin said they'd pay the price." Yusei says.

"Sounds like something Goodwin would do. If it's not a bribe, it's a threat. Your friends're in the Satellite?" Asks Blister.

"They are." Yusei says.

"Aw, man!" Says Blister. He looks at the picture again. "Listen, I wanna help you out." Blister says.

"Hmm?" Asks Yusei.

"I'll check on them, and make sure nothin' bad happens." Blister says.

"You can get to the Satellite?" Asks Yusei.

"I can get anywhere, Yusei. Now don't worry, you'll be back with your buds in no time." Blister says.

_"That's if Goodwin ever lets me see them again."_ Yusei thinks to himself.

At Jack's apartment. Goodwin is standing at the window, Jack is sitting on the couch and Minako is pouring tea. "How's your training coming for the Fortune Cup?" Asks Goodwin. "If you mean sittin' on a couch, just great." Jack says. "Well you might want to change your attitude. I invited an additional contestant this year, someone you know." Says Goodwin. "Who?!" Jack asks. "Your friend from the Satellite, Yusei Fudo." Says Goodwin. "He'll be there? I like." Jack says. "I'm glad. I hoped it would motivate you. Well. I should probably let you get back to your, euh, training regimen? I'll show myself out. And Jack, make sure you win this time, okay?" Asks Goodwin.

"Do you have any idea what this means, Minako?" Jack asks. "Umm..." Says Minako. "I can finally take on Yusei again." Jack says. "And that's a good thing, isn't it?" Asks Minako. Jack looks down at his own reflection on the surface of the tea in his cup. "It's so much more than that. It's a chance." Jack says. "A chance for what, Mr. Atlas?" Asks Minako. Jack sips. "A chance to redeem myself." Jack says. He flips the top card of his deck and looks at it, Stardust Dragon. "I underestimated Yusei in our last match, but this time I'll prove to 'im that I'm the best! Hm!" Says Jack. He stands up, still holding the card. "What? Like right now?" Minako asks. "I'm just gonna go and even up the playing field so that Yusei definitely shows up! And if I'm right about this, the Crimson Dragon just might show up at the Fortune Cup as well!" Says Jack. Minako gasps and he walks out.

A taxi stops in front of a yellow building. "Stop here!" Tanner says. He and Yanagi climb out. "Eugh! My back!" Says Yanagi.

Meanwhile, between the loud music Yusei has playing and the din as he revs the runner's engine with one hand, experimentally, then types something on the diagnostic screen with the other, it's rather noisy.

Blister, Tanner and Yanagi walk in, as he revs the engine once more, loud enough to drown out the music this time, and cry out and cover their ears, immediately. "Ahh! Turn that off!" Blister says, yelling.

"I can't hear you!" Says Yusei, calling above the noise. He reaches over and turns off the engine and the music, as Yanagi tries to make himself known above it. Yanagi jumps up and down. "Yusei! It's me, Yanagi! Heheh!" "Yuse, nice place." Tanner says. "You're out?" Asks Yusei. "And it's all thanks to you." Tanner says. "When you out dueled Chief Armstrong, we didn't just get early release, we got way early release! So we headed right over to this, uh, this interesting..." Says Yanagi. "This place is a dump! Why don't ya get a throw rug and work some feng shui in here?" Tanner asks. "Tanner, you said you'd be nice." Says Yanagi. "That was nice. I'm likin' the duel runner, though. Twin exhaust, turbo rotor, holodisplay, and your own deck. Bet you wish you had that back in the Facility. Whaddayou say you let me take it for a little ride and see what she's got? I'll bring it back with a full charge, and not one scratch." Tanner says. Yusei starts to smile. "Yeah, right. You mean like your last runner?" Asks Yanagi. Tanner shows his own deck. "How 'bout we duel? I win, I take 'er for a quick spin, okay?" Tanner asks. "Hyah! I gotta see this!" Says Yanagi. Yusei nods. "Hm." Yusei says.

In a vacant lot somewhere. Tanner and Yusei are preparing to duel.

Yanagi and Blister are standing on the sidelines behind Tanner. "So, what's your story? I bet you didn't know I'm a famous explorer who's gone around the world collecting the most amazing cards ever made?" Asks Yanagi, addressing Blister. "But Tanner said, um, that your deck's just a joke." Blister says. "He what?! He did not! Just take a look for yourself. I've got Crystal Skull, Ashoka Pillar..." Says Yanagi. He continues to chatter under line. "Okay, grandpa." Blister says. _"Where d'you find these guys, Yusei? An ex-champ you met in the Facility, you went from foe to friend in one duel. Then there's old grandpa, and he thinks you're tied to some ancient prophecy about the end of the world. Huh! You're one of a kind, that's for sure." _Blister thinks to himself.

The sun shines bright overhead, it's somewhere around either 10 AM or 2 PM, from the angle. "Let's duel!" Says both Tanner and Yusei.

Suddenly, the shrill roar of a runner engine is heard. Yusei and Tanner look toward the sound.

"Huh?!" Yusei asks.

"Hmm!" Says Tanner.

Jack rides out from behind a corner and parks his runner in the middle of the duel.

"Hey, Jack." Yusei says.

"Uh-oh." Says Tanner.

Jack climbs off, takes off his helmet and faces Yusei, the tension in the air is palpable.

Yusei and Jack face off.

Tanner, Blister and Yanagi are somewhat nonplussed, struck silent by the tension in the air. "Uh-oh, why is Jack Atlas here?" Yanagi asks. "Lessons?" Asks Blister.

Jack turns to look over his shoulder at them. "Careful." Jack says.

They shut up, intimidated.

"It's been a long time, Atlas. What's up?" Asks Tanner.

"My career, thank you." Jack says. Burn!

Tanner growls under his breath.

Yusei catches Tanner's eye and shakes his head, he'll handle this.

Jack turns his attention back to Yusei.

"What brings you here, Jack?" Asks Yusei.

Jack reaches into his collar, pulls out a card and flips it, Stardust Dragon.

Yusei gasps.

_ "I wonder if that's an ancient relic!"_ Yanagi thinks to himself.

"I heard you'll be at the Fortune Cup." Jack says.

"Word gets around fast." Says Yusei.

"I got a deal for you, Yusei, for your Stardust Dragon." Jack says.

"Hmmm..." Says Yusei.

"You add it to your deck. Win, and then you can keep the card. I win, I get it, and then you and me are straight, right?" Jack asks.

"Straight! What about my friends?!" Asks Yusei.

"What? What're you talking about?" Jack asks.

Yusei pulls the picture from the same inside pocket in his own jacket, from which he pulled Stardust, and shows it to him. "Your purple-haired pal Lazar stopped by, and if I don't duel, they pay." Says Yusei.

"What?" Jack asks, genuinely shocked.

"Surprised, Jack? Well, don't be. I know Goodwin's behind all of this." Says Yusei. He puts the picture back in his pocket. "And I guarantee he's gonna regret putting this Satellite's friends in harm's way!" Yusei says.

"Well then you'll definitely need your Stardust Dragon, now, won't you?" Asks Jack. He throws it.

Yusei catches it.

"Just so we're clear, I don't know anything about this threat, got it? I duel for me, Goodwin's got his own agenda." Jack says.

When he looks back at his runner, Skylar is sitting on it sideways, with one leg crossed over the other and arms folded over her chest.

"Skylar." Says Jack. He then walks up to Skylar. "Where'd you come from and where've you been?" Jack asks. "I have been busy, but don't worry. I shall be back to work starting tomorrow at the Fortune Cup." Says Skylar. Jack doesn't know what to think anymore.

Yusei's actually surprised that he doesn't recognize who she actually is. After all, Jack and Skylara used to be a thing.

"I don't have time for this." Jack says. He places his hands on Skylar's waist.

Which makes Yusei furious.

Jack moves Skylar off of his runner and takes his hands from her waist. Jack then gets back on his runner. "So I guess I'll see you, at the Fortune Cup then. And Yusei, you had better bring your A-game with you." Says Jack.

"I will!" Yusei says, furiously.

Jack has a small smile. "Hm." Says Jack. He donuts in a sharp U-turn and rides out the way he came.

Yusei watches Jack go until long after he's gone.

His friends hurry over to him. "Hmm?" Blister asks. "I have to see that card!" Says Yanagi. Yusei shows it. "It's true! That's Stardust Dragon! It's amazing! This is big stuff, you are a Signer!" Yanagi says. "Hmm..." Says Yusei. "Hm! Don't you see? With that card, you made the Crimson Dragon appear!" Yanagi says. "But Jack was there, too!" Says Yusei. "Then that must mean, you're both Signers! You two are connected!" Yanagi says. _"But what does it all mean?" _Yusei thinks to himself. "By the way, it's nice to see you again, doll." Says Tanner. "Like wise." Skylar says.

The shadows cover her and she's back to being Skylara. "So this is what you truly look like then, dear child?" Asks Yanagi. Skylara nods. "Skylar Alektra is my alias. My real name is Skylara Galatea." "Skylar Alektra, Skylara Galatea. Doesn't change anything between us. You're still the same person as you were when we first met in the Facility." Tanner says. "Maybe this will, Skylara's my older half-twin sister." Says Yusei. "That does sort of change things." Both Tanner and Yanagi say.

Jack is racing along an empty freeway._ "So Yusei's got a new crew. Hmph. Not much of a trade-up."_ Jack thinks to himself. As he thinks, he pictures the groups in question. Whether it's Tanner, Blister and Yanagi or Rally, Blitz, Tank and Nervin at his back, it's still the same old Yusei. _"He probably still thinks that Stardust Dragon is just a rare card with a pretty pic. Hmph! This game isn't about cards anymore, Yusei. __I__t's not about records or speed or anything! It's about the end of the world. And you can bet I'm gonna be the one to make sure it doesn't happen!" _Jack thinks to himself.

The red star of the Dragon is shining brightly above the shrine Goodwin showed Jack. Goodwin stands before it and raises his arms, ceremonially, absorbing the light. "Even now, the Dragon Star's power grows. It knows our quest to gather all the Signers is on the verge of success." Says Goodwin.

Lazar stands, listening, along with five robed figures. "You are my loyal servants of Yliaster. Your mission is to expose those people who possess the Mark of the Dragon. You must push them to their limits, exhaust their skills, stir their emotions. Now go, and do not fail me." Goodwin says. The five bow their heads and depart.

"Soon all the pieces will be in place once again, and your power shall rule the world!" Says Goodwin.

It's sunset in the shady part of New Domino.

Blister emerges from a doorway, waving a goodbye. "I'll see you at the docks." Blister says. He walks down the wide alley, beneath a multi-armed crane.

Not too far away, a duel ring is spray-painted much like a basketball court on the pavement and a thin crowd is gathered around a disk duel someone is in the process of losing. "Ah!" "Try harder next time!" "Is that Joey Wheeler?" "No, man, it's his cousin Jesse Wheeler!" The duelist in question does have Joey Wheeler's distinctive blonde hairdo, similar voice and something of his fashion sense, his left cheek is marked and he wears a pair of spectacles.

Yusei, Skylara, Tanner and Yanagi are at the back of the crowd, as Blister joins them. "Yusei! Good news, I found a work boat that'll take me to the Satellite, tonight." Says Blister. "A work boat? Don't those things just carry trash and disease?" Yanagi asks. "If you're lucky! This ain't some pleasure cruise, it's to check on Yusei's friends. They may be in trouble, grandpa. See, Yusei's got much bigger things to worry about." Says Blister. "Like the Fortune Cup? Hey, our boy'll clean 'em up!" Tanner says.

Another duel has started, but while most of the crowd is cheering and yelling.

Yusei's circle is no longer paying attention. "There's a lot more at stake here than just the tournament, Bolt. Goodwin an' Atlas forced Yusei to duel. If they're involved, something bad's going on." Says Blister. "Like the end of the world! Everyone in New Domino, marker or not, Satellite or citizen, all our fates are tied to the Signers, to Yusei!" Yanagi says. Yusei pulls out the Cup invitation and stares at it. Blister puts a hand on Yusei's shoulder and he looks up. "I'm not sure I believe that, but just in case, why don't you win for the sake of all of humanity, 'kay?" Asks Blister. "Sure." Yusei says.

A familiar voice can be heard across the arena. "Mister!" Leo, with Dexter in tow, taps a spectator on the back, politely. "Hey mister." Says Leo. "Huh?" "Have you seen the Black Rose?" Leo asks. "Nah! Don'tchu know she don't exist?" He starts walking away. "Maybe she's duelin' one a' your imaginary friends!"

"Maybe she doesn't exist, Dex." Says Leo. "Well I know the blogs don't lie. She'll be here, I just know it!" Dexter says. "You sure? I mean, does anyone know who she really is?" Asks Leo. "Well, she'd better show up. 'Cause my deck is ready for her!" Dexter says. "Well, Dex, we've looked for the Black Rose all day. Maybe we should go home." Says Leo. "Huh? Go home? The Black Rose is the greatest duelist ever! They say her cards make real monsters, her spells are like real spells, and her traps're like…" Dexter says. "Lemme guess, real traps?" Asks Leo. Dexter sniffs. "If you don't wanna help me, then fine. But I'm stayin' right here, got that?" Dexter asks. "Don't cry, Dexter. I'll stay." Says Leo. "I don't cry!" Dexter says.

"Leo, what's up?" Asks Yusei.

"Look! Over here, Dexter look. It's the superhero who fixed me and my sister's duel disks!" Leo says.

"He's a superhero? Ugh." Says Dexter. He runs after Leo.

"So what's up?" Leo asks. "What are you doing here, Leo? This is a dangerous place for little kids. Where is your sister?" Asks Skylara. "She didn't wanna come." Leo says.

Dexter finally catches up with him and as he comes to a halt, he spots Yusei's mark. Blister, Tanner and Yanagi also look like rough company. Dexter is shrinking back. "Leo, I don't think this guy's a superhero. Check his face…" Says Dexter, whispering. "That's his secret identity." Leo says. Yanagi gets up in their faces, but tries to be friendly towards the little kids. "What're you doin' here?" Asks Yanagi. "Uwah...!" Dexter screams, scared. "We've been looking around for the Black Rose!" Leo says. "Oh." Says Yusei. He then turns to Tanner, Blister and Yanagi. "He helped me get my memory back, he's cool." Yusei says. Leo is elated, he's 'cool' with his crowd! "Yes, I'm cool!" Says Leo. He grabs Dexter's sleeve. "And this guy's my best friend Dexter." Leo says. "Um, hello." Says Dexter. "That guy's the best, he's got this combo that's like whoa! You should definitely duel him!" Leo says. "Uh..." Says Dexter. Yusei looks rather menacing, marked, intense and not smiling. "Maybe some other time. Oh… look at that!" Dexter says. He's spotted the Fortune Cup invitation in Yusei's hand. "Whoa-hahahahaha! Hey, that's an invitation to duel at the Fortune Cup! You'll be there, too?!" Asks Leo. "Uh-huh." Yusei says. Leo is now dancing around and singing. "I get to duel you, I get to duel you! But this time, you're going down, too!" Says Leo. He then turns to Dexter. "Maybe if I win, he'll make me his sidekick like in all those comic books! Cool, huh!" Leo says. "Yeeeaah..." Says Dexter. Skylara suddenly cries out, in pain, falls to her knees, clenching at her stomach and gripping her right forearm. Skylara's also starting to experience pain in both of her legs, which is new for her. "Skylara, what's wrong?" Yusei asks, gripping both of her shoulders. He still looks pretty menacing to Dexter, but not quite as scary as before. As he stares, Yusei suddenly cries out, in pain, and falls to one knee, gripping his right forearm, almost exactly as Skylara did. "It's okay, I'll let you win!" Says Leo. "What's wrong?" Yanagi asks. "It hurts just like before." Says Yusei. "Before?" Tanner asks. "When it first appeared. The Crimson Dragon..." Says Yusei.

Suddenly, a noise.

Yusei and Skylara are still hunched over, shivering with pain, but the group looks toward this new threat. "Let's go...!" Dexter says. "Wait, something's happening!" Says Leo.

All the spectators are running away, yelling about the Black Rose.

One guy is left on the field, scoffing..."There is no Black Rose!" Hard to keep such a belief, when the space before him is populated by a localized tornado.

"B-B-Black Rose?" Yanagi asks. "She's just a myth." Says Blister. "Oh yeah?" Tanner asks. "There's a reasonable explanation here." Says Blister. _"What's going on?" _Yusei thinks to himself.

Giant black thorny vines shoot into the sides of nearby buildings and emerge from the ground, one comes up beneath Yusei's group, scattering them in all directions, knocking them hard to the ground. Yusei and Skylara land on their feet in a crouch, still clutching their arms. Skylara's also clutching at her stomach and gripping at her legs, as she and Yusei look up at the silhouette of a dragon, its mouth glowing red, through the dust, debris and/or smokescreen. "What is that?" Yusei asks. "Whose dragon is that?" Asks Skylara. Yusei grimaces in pain again and rolls up his sleeve, the Sign on his arm is once more visible, glowing red. As soon as Yusei's Sign appears, Skylara reaches for her lower back, she's experiencing some excruciating pain at the moment. "My mark!" Yusei says. "Oh my!" Says Yanagi. "That's no tattoo!" Tanner says. "You're right, Tanner. It is the Mark of the Dragon!" Says Yanagi.

Leo, a number of feet away, is staring at Yusei's Sign in what looks like fear. "Mark of the dragon...?" Leo asks. Probably from his memory, a vision of a glowing-red claw, as he continues to stare, eyes wide with distress.

Suddenly, something shines brightly in the center of the disturbance, everyone shields their eyes. The duelist left on the ground is still there, probably wetting himself by now.

Yusei looks up again, as the dragon roars once more, triumphant. "The Black Rose is real!" Says Leo.

Skylara staggers to her feet, still cradling her glowing arm and gripping at her legs, not so much her stomach anymore. That's when Yusei notices that Skylara has a mark of her own. "Skylara, you too?" Yusei asks. "No, don't accept this life. I must because I don't have a choice with this any longer. My choice was chosen for me. See for yourself." Says Skylara. She turns herself, showing the glowing Sign on her stomach. She also has markings appearing on her legs, glowing red through her pants and boots. "She's right. It's your sister the Crimson Dragon wants. She is the Crimson Dragons host, the Signer that protects the Crimson Dragon." Yanagi says. "No, why you?" Asks Yusei. "I don't have the answers for why it is me. Please, you have a choice. I don't anymore and I never did." Skylara says. Yusei grabs a hold of her hands and pulls himself to his feet. "But, you'll be alone." Says Yusei. "Not exactly, I shall have the Crimson Dragon with me, or actually within me." Skylara says. She then runs right toward the dragon, revealing that the markings on her lower back have reappeared, glowing red through the back of her coat.

Yusei falls back down to his knees. "Skylara, wait!" Says Yusei. He gets up to his feet, still cradling his glowing arm and runs after Skylara.

Leo then runs after Yusei. "Wait! Come back! It's too dangerous, even for a superhero!" Leo says, calling after him.

Visible through the screen of dust and smoke as it begins to clear is a hooded and cloaked figure with blank, glowing eyes and a white, mouthless face, hair dark magenta and rigid in snaky locks that frame her face.

Skylara has her dragon out already. Cynder is standing almost directly over Skylara.

Yusei knows not to get in Skylara's way now. "Black Rose?" Asks Yusei. "I think. But be careful, uh!" Leo says. Yusei holds out a hand to stop him from walking forward to stand beside him.

The rest of the group runs forward to join Leo behind Yusei. "Okay, so she's not made up. Now what, grandpa?" Asks Blister. "I dunno!" Yanagi says, terrified.

The Black Rose stands, silently, until she sees the glowing Sign on Skylara's arm and the markings that are glowing in red through her clothes, and then Yusei's arm, she gasps. "Your arms! You also have marks!" Says Black Rose, almost accusingly, in a voice that echoes and distorts.

"Huh?" Yusei asks. "Huh?" Asks Leo. "We do." Yusei says. He walks towards Black Rose.

She panics.

Skylara then holds out a hand to stop Yusei from walking forward to stand beside her.

Cynder suddenly out of no where attacks Black Rose's dragon. Black Rose's dragon doesn't seem too happy and growls at Cynder, who just shrieks back.

For once, Skylara's eyes aren't glowing crimson red.

Cynder is then attacked by a giant black thorny vine and is taken down.

"Cynder." Says Skylara.

Black Rose then sends the thorny vines towards Yusei.

Skylara sees who they're headed straight for. "No, get down." Skylara says. She wraps her arms around Yusei, pulling him out of the way of the thorny vines. Yusei then falls onto his back and Skylara lands on top of him. Skylara sits herself up, now having three deep cuts like claws down her shoulder-blades and three on her right upper arm. Skylara gets up to her feet, staggering, but her eyes just show fury against Black Rose for not attacking her, but trying to attack her brother.

Cynder then stands back up.

"Cynder! Take down Black Rose's dragon, with Dark Shadow Flame!" Says Skylara.

Cynder attacks with her dark powerful fire breath, managing to scorch Black Rose on her left forearm. Cynder's fire is powerful, since it causes almost the entire ground to shake.

"Stay away from me!" Black Rose says. She flourishes her arm and is surrounded in a mass of blue-white light.

Yusei's friends are forced or flung back, while Skylara falls hard to one knee and weathers it. Suddenly it's gone, along with Black Rose. All that remains is a visible crackle of power or two in the air.

Skylara stands up, but falls right back down, falling onto her side, marks still glowing, cuts still open.

Yusei then sits up and crawls over to Skylara. Yusei lifts Skylara up and kneels down on his knees. Skylara's head is being cradled in Yusei's arm.

"She's gone!" Says Tanner, replying to Black Rose. "Amazing! That's what I call an exit for the ages! Whaddaya think her encore looks like?" Yanagi asks.

Leo and Dexter are completely shellshocked and hysterically stoked, hugging together. "We found her, the Black Rose is real!" Says Dexter. "That was so awesome!" Leo says.

A short while later. The rest of the bystanders are still recovering, standing up and lifting injured pals out of the rubble.

"The Black Rose said you also had marks. What'd she mean by that?" Asks Blister.

Yusei looks at his arm, the Sign has vanished. Yusei then looks at Skylara's arm, the Sign has stopped glowing, but the Sign is still visible on her arm, like Jack's, like a dark red tattoo. The Sign on her abdomen has ceased glowing, and so has the markings on her legs and lower back.

"Ah! Where'd it go?!" Leo asks. "Vanished! Like magic!" Says Yanagi.

"I know, I have to find this Black Rose! After all, guys. I need to find out some answers." Yusei says.

Lazar has apparently observed the whole event, standing nimbly atop the multi-armed crane Blister walked under earlier. _"And you'll get them, in due time! Huhuhuhuhuhuh..." _Lazar thinks to himself.

Yusei is still looking over Skylara.

Leo and Dexter seem to have left.

Tanner, Yanagi and Blister aren't too far away from them.

Skylara starts to show signs of life, but winces in pain. Skylara's eyes flutter open before she turns her attention to Yusei. Yusei's royal blue eyes never left Skylara. Skylara's emerald green eyes then look up into Yusei's, in a brother-sister moment. "Where is Black Rose?" Asks Skylara. "She's gone. And Leo, Dexter and everyone else appear to be just fine." Yusei says. Skylara then looks away from him. Yusei's smile turns upside down and now looks serious. "They usually are… as long as we beat certain people in time. I will never get use to it though. It is hard… knowing how much depends on my Signer power and my success." Says Skylara. "Then why didn't you want me to accept the Sign before?" Yusei asks. He lifts up Skylara's right arm, trying to prove his point to her, showing her the deep cuts on her upper arm. "You need my help, Skylara. No one can continue fighting like this alone." Says Yusei. He then places that arm down. "Because I don't want to be the one to end your journey. Your need for speed." Skylara says. Her emerald green eyes look back up into Yusei's royal blue eyes. "If your going to accept this life, it has to be your choice. You can leave that mark behind and it shall never bother you again. You can continue to race and duel in turbo- duels, but now you can do it knowing that you are not running away anymore." Says Skylara. "But I'm always running away. I was being selfish." Yusei says. "You weren't being selfish. You were doing what you thought was right. I was so glad when I found out…" Says Skylara. She winces in pain. When she opens her eyes again, tears are forming in Skylara's eyes for the first time in years. "…that you were one of my long lost Signer partners. There is no one I would rather do this with than family. I just couldn't find the strength to tell you about all this Signer stuff." Skylara says. Yusei looks down at his arm, but still no mark. Yusei then finds the strength to do what he couldn't the first time he saw Skylara again. Yusei places his curled up fingers on Skylara's cheek, wiping away her tears that had shed.

Nighttime, somewhere in New Domino. The Black Rose stops running, out of breath and leans against a wall, hidden in an alleyway. _"That mark! Why did they have one?!" _The Black Rose thinks to herself. She takes off her mask to catch her breath better, but her eyes can't be seen, she is human.

Daytime. The Kaibadome's entrance is swarming with crowds before the Fortune Cup. People flock to ticket kiosks and all door tickets are apparently sold out. Lines are atrocious. The arena itself has been decorated with the Fortune Cup logo, including the spherical display that usually displays a rotating card.

Goodwin is observing the action from a high-up window somewhere in the stadium.

Skylar Alektra is once again back, lying on the couches arm, with one leg crossed over the other. Skylar's sort of lounging on it, but Goodwin doesn't seem to mind at all.

"Director, one of the servants of Yliaster led me right to her. I made sure the Black Rose got the invitation. She'll be dueling here along with Yusei. Hmhmhmhmhmhm..." Says Lazar.

Suddenly, Skylar doesn't seem as calm anymore, now knowing that her brother might now be in very real danger. Jack instantly notices Skylar's reaction, but doesn't say anything.

Goodwin looks sideways at Lazar, then smiles a bit too sinisterly. "Then all is going as planned. Soon the Crimson Dragon will rise!" Goodwin says.

Skylar reaches for her forearm where the Sign is hidden. _"Not if I have anything to say about it." _Skylar thinks to herself. Jack is sitting on the same couch next to her. _"And Yusei will fall!"_ Jack thinks to himself.


	16. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15: Welcome To The Fortune Cup_

Outside the Kaibadome, fans wander and chatter. "…This is gonna be the best match ever..."

Inside, Leo has just finished putting up his hair in a perfect facsimile of Luna's forward-falling pigtails. Leo's lipstick and blush are already on. Dexter, Luna, who's wearing a heavy coat to disguise her appearance, Tanner, Yanagi and Yusei are with Leo. Leo is also wearing a red shirt and sneakers instead of his usual blue. "Well? Whaddoyou think? How do I look, guys?" Leo asks. "Leo, you're as good a Luna as Luna is!" Says Yanagi. "Yahoo!" Leo says, shouting. Luna kicks him in the shin. "Don't embarrass me!" Says Luna. "C'mon, Luna, just chill out. I'm about to make you a dueling legend." Leo says. He then walks over to stand with Yusei. "Whaddaya say, Mr. Amnesia Man, ready?" Asks Leo.

The two of them start walking away from the others down the hall. Leo's holding his hands at his sides, primly, trying to act girly. "Yep, but I think the makeup should go." Yusei says. "Okay, but only if you tell me your name." Says Leo. "You'll find out soon enough." Yusei says. "Awesome! I bet it's really cool!" Says Leo.

The others watch them go. Luna does not look too pleased with Leo's imitation of her. _"There's something up with this whole Fortune Cup thing. Be careful, Yusei. Watch your back."_ Tanner thinks to himself.

It's a bright, beautiful day for a tournament. The stands are full, the stage is set and still got the same crazy announcer guy. "Duelists young and old, professional and amateur alike, put your hands together for our master of ceremonies, Director Rex Goodwin!" The announcer says.

Goodwin takes a seat behind a podium embossed with the same design as on the shirt under his suit coat. Skylar is standing at Goodwin's side once again.

The cheerleader's try to cheer. "R! E! X! Ahhh!"

A sudden, strong wind blows up, grows to a small tornado in midair and then reveals Red Dragon Archfiend.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Red Dragon Archfiend has taken to the skies! You know what that means!" Says the announcer.

Jack on his runner appears from an arena entrance and races onto the track.

"Let's hear it for the reigning champion, the king of the cards, the one man who rules the duels, the Master of Faster himself, Jack Atlas!" The announcer says.

Archfiend comes to land on the raised platform at the center of the arena, on one knee. Jack zooms up onto the bowled side of the track, off the top, rolls over in midair and lands, skidding slightly, in front of Red Dragon Archfiend. Jack takes off his helmet and looks out at the roaring crowd with a genuine, if small, smile. Jack raises a finger to point to the sky, standing in front of his runner and dragon, facing the stadium, proudly. "New Domino City! What say we kick this tournament into overdrive! Let's get this started!" Says Jack.

"It's time we meet the lucky duelists who are selected to compete for the chance to go head-to-head with Mr. Atlas! The Fortune Eight!" The announcer says.

On cue, two panels open up on the arena floor and two elevators emerge, bringing four duelists each up to the stage level. Leo squints in the bright sunlight. "Here we go! This is it! Wha-whoa! Look it all the people!" Says Leo.

The other elevator contains, downstage to up, a young woman with burgundy hair, a man in classical bronze armor, a nondescript man in a robe with a Chinese-style collar and a tall black man in khakis and a leather top that bares his incredible muscles.

Yusei is on the downstage end of the other one, next to Leo, a man in a dark cloak with bright orange flames on the shoulders and a man in a gray suit.

"Now let's hear it for… the always mysterious Shira!" The announcer says.

The guy in the cloak with flames.

"The great Greiger!" Says the announcer.

This is the muscular black man in the leather.

"Commander Koda!" The announcer says.

Gray suit, also has a fairly wacky hairdo.

"The Professor!" Says the announcer.

Guy in the Chinese-style robe.

"Miss. Akiza Izinski!" The announcer says.

The burgundy-haired woman. Their faces are also flashing by on the in-stadium monitors, this also means they don't get a very good look at her.

"Sir Ransborg!" Says the announcer.

The guy in the armor.

"The lovely Miss. Luna!" The announcer says.

Leo is still pretty stoked to be there.

"And Yusei Fudo!" Says the announcer.

In the stands, there's some chatter about this. "…Hey, dudes, that guy's got a mark!" "…Yeah, totally!" "…What's a Satellite doing here?!" "…Who is that lowlife?" Tanner steadfastly ignores it, as one person next to him murmurs to another. "…I'll betcha anything he took someone's invitation." Yanagi's starting to get nervous, as the whole crowd around them starts buzzing with unfriendly chatter.

Down on the stage, Yusei has his eyes closed and appears to be trying to ignore the unfriendly attention of the crowd. Leo looks a bit deflated at the crowd's reaction. "Huh. So your name's Yusei?" Leo asks. "Yep, now don't wear it out." Says Yusei. "That's not much of a superhero name, is it?" Leo asks. "Super-what?" Asks Yusei. "Never mind." Leo says.

The crowd raises a chant of 'Who's that loser! Who's that loser!'

Shira grits his teeth beneath his hood and Sir Ransborg glances at Goodwin, nervously, who seems to be tolerating the situation, quietly.

The announcer is frantically at a loss.

"Ah-uh-uh." Says the announcer.

Greiger, the scary guy in the leather, walks forward to address the crowd, grabbing the announcer's hand-held mic out of his hand. "Gimme that." Greiger says. He then addresses the crowd. "I have to say something." Says Greiger.

There's instant silence.

"My name is Greiger. I know things are different in this city, but where I come from, you judge a guy on his spirit." Greiger points at Yusei. "This kid right here may have been branded by your people as a no-good, but when I look at 'im, all I see's a duelist. And being a duelist myself, that means I have to respect him until he gives me a reason not to. Because a duelist…" Greiger says.

Akiza is listening closely.

"…doesn't judge another duelist based on where he or she comes from…" Says Greiger.

So is Sir Ransborg.

"…or who his or her family is…" Greiger says.

Leo is loving this, with huge, round eyes.

"…or how much money he or she has! That isn't what really matters!" Says Greiger.

Leo is crying with happiness.

Jack is looking down at Yusei.

Skylar is looking towards Yusei, as well. Goodwin is the first to begin to clap.

The audience soon follows Goodwin's lead.

The announcer, breathlessly relieved, follows suit enthusiastically, things are back on track.

Greiger makes a small bow to the MC's dais and stalks back to his place in line, slapping the mic into the grateful announcer's hand as he goes. "Here's your mic." Greiger says.

"Uh, thank you..." Says the announcer.

Goodwin stands to address the crowd. "Thank you for those well-chosen and heartfelt words. In our world, social status and personal wealth draw a line between ourselves and our fellow men and women. But I had a vision of a duel tournament that would, if only for a fleeting while, remove that line! A tournament separate from the competition of life! Where the haves and the have-nots could meet each other on a level playing field, and prove themselves to each other and to the world! Fellow duelists, welcome to the Fortune Cup!" Goodwin says.

The crowd cheers.

An aerial view and all of this has happened on the central stage, with extra platforms set up on top of the two duel arenas painted on the ground.

The eight tournament duelists are standing in a line before a triangle-shaped stage, on which Jack stands with his runner and Archfiend.

Perpendicular to them is Goodwin's platform.

The screens show a bracket, in which the picture at the end of each branch is shuffling through images of the eight duelists, rapidly.

"And now, let's turn to the bracket-shuffler! And find out who's dueling who in the first match!" Says the announcer.

Only seeing half the tournament bracket as it gets determined, Yusei vs. Shira, Leo vs. Greiger.

"Look! I'm dueling Greiger in the very first duel!" Leo says. He looks over to see Greiger scrutinizing him, too.

Greiger looks away.

_"I can take that guy, I know I can!" _Leo thinks to himself.

A short while later. Goodwin sits down on a couch somewhere behind the scenes, cloistered from the action. "Zigzix tells me he's got everything in order. Now we'll know for certain if the Signers are who we hope they are. Ahahahaha!" Says Lazar, clandestinely into his ear. He clicks a remote and a holographic screen appears in midair, filled with Zigzix's face. "Good morning, Director. Now, by aligning a neuron enervator with my energy allocator, and then spinning some particles and crushing some atoms. I was able to come with a device that could detect the mysterious power called Ener-D." Zigzix says, via-screen. He spins. "It's my most inspired invention yet!" Says Zigzix, via-screen. He poses. "It's amaaayzing! And…" Zigzix says, via-screen. He stops. "…fits in your purse." Says Zigzix, via-screen. His spectacles glimmer. "I give you…" Zigzix says, via-screen. He's now spinning like a tornado, literally. "…the one and only stupendously fabulous Zigzix creation, the 'D-Tector'." Says Zigzix, via-screen. He presents a gadget, with glowing red lights, a little dial and a satellite dish.

It surveys the stadium and now little satellite dishes around the edges of the open dome, are ready to detect.

"By placing remote sensors all over the stadium and feeding their signal into the D-Tector, I'll be able to spot even the slightest Ener-D activity." Zigzix says, via-screen. He stands up and starts walking away. "Excellent." Says Goodwin. "Let's find those Signers!" Zigzix says, via-screen. The transmission ends.

In a waiting room for the competitors, there's a big screen that shows what's happening in the stadium along one wall. At the moment, the cheerleaders are performing, while listening to them, across the room.

Greiger is sitting at one table, visible over Akiza's shoulder, as she sits at another table, looking worried. "…gimme an A, gimme a T, gimme an L, gimme an A, gimme an S, what's that spell..." Says the cheerleaders, cheering, via-screen.

Yusei and Leo are sitting on a pair of facing couches in a corner. Leo is slotting his deck. "This duel disk you fixed up for me rocks!" Leo says. "Glad you like it." Says Yusei. "I can't believe I'm actually about to do this. You don't have, like, any last-minute pointers for me, do ya?" Leo asks. "Yep, remember to adapt to your opponent." Says Yusei. Leo stands up. "I can do that!" Leo says. He runs off past Sir Ransborg and Shira, sitting on the next couch over and complements Ransborg as he runs by. "Nice 'stache!" Says Leo.

The stadium is dark, ready for the first match. "Before we meet our first duelists, we have a quick word from our duel sponsors. 'If your dog's bad breath is making you sick, give him Tomatol's Mintbone, the sparkling edible stinkbuster.' And now, coming to us straight from the Tops..." The announcer says.

Leo is entering the arena, via an elevator platform, looking around, excitedly.

"A precious half-pint bundle of wonder, little Miss. Luna!" Says the announcer.

"Oh, wow! This is incredible! I shoulda brought my camera!" Leo says.

Greiger likewise enters the arena, his expression much calmer.

"Hoping to take her down, the Wall of Wallop, the Tower of Power, Greiger!" Says the announcer.

Lights go on.

"Alright, children, play nice! Let's shake those hands!" The announcer says.

Leo and Greiger shake hands. "That was cool the way you just grabbed that mic and defended my friend. I want you to know it's a big-time honor to be dueling you today, Mr. Greiger." Says Leo. "If I may say so, Miss. Luna. You have quite a strong grip for a young lady." Greiger says. "Haha, that's funny 'cause everyone at school calls me a tomboy! Did I mention I was a cheerleader?" Asks Leo, panicking. He fakes a cheerleading pose, unconvincingly.

Luna is fuming. "I do not act like that!" Luna says.

"And now, it's time to start the duel! Players, activate your duel disks!" Says the announcer.

"Let's duel!" Both Leo and Greiger say.

"The first move's mine! I draw!" Says Greiger. A shot of his opening hand, 'Star Blast', Nobleman of Crossout, two monsters and a trap. "From my hand I activate 'Star Blast'!" Greiger says.

"A spell? You're not starting with a monster?" Asks Leo.

"I first have to lower my monster's level by harnessing the power of 'Star Blast' and sacrificing five hundred lifepoints." Greiger says.

"Why wouldja do all a' that?" Asks Leo.

"See, my Summon Reactor•SK is a level-five, so by taking its power down a notch, I can summon it directly to the field in attack mode!" Greiger says. Summon Reactor•SK has 2000 attack points.

"Yikes! It's got two thousand attack points!" Says Leo.

"That's right. I believe that one must sacrifice a little, in order to gain a lot! I end my turn with a face down card!" Greiger says.

"Greiger is off to a strong start. Let's see how little Miss. Luna responds..." Says the announcer.

"Here I go, I draw!" Leo says. He pulls a card and holds it high, animatedly. "You're not the only one off to a strong start! I summon Morphtronic Celfon in attack mode!" Says Leo. Morphtronic Celfon has 100 attack points, 100 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is an earth type monster. "Pretty cool, don'tcha think? My Morphtronic deck rules! An' I'm about to show you why!" Leo says.

"Before you make any more moves, I get to activate Reactor•SK's special ability." Says Greiger.

"Uh?" Leo asks.

"Because you summoned a monster to the field, Reactor•SK gets to hit you with eight hundred points of damage!" Says Greiger. Reactor•SK attacks with strong winds from its turbines.

Leo's lifepoints read 3200.

"Incredible! Greiger's monster can attack Miss. Luna anytime she summons a monster!" The announcer says.

In the tower. "Greiger was the right choice for this. His relentless tactics'll have that girl showing her true colors in no time." Says Lazar.

"Not bad, mister, but it's gonna take more than that to weaken my Morphtronic deck!" Leo says. _"_

_That's right, kid, get excited. __L__et's find out if you really are who Goodwin thinks you are!" _Greiger thinks to himself. "You keep talking up these Morphtronics of yours, but so far I am not impressed!" Says Greiger.

"Yeah, well, I'm about to impress your face!" Leo says.

"I can't watch. I'll never be able to live this down!" Says Luna.

"Alright, let's go. Celfon, start dialiiing… Now! Whatever number the dial lands on, that's the number of cards from the top of my deck I get to flip over. And if the last card I flip is a level-four-or-below Morphtronic, then I can summon it out! And, we've got a two! The second card is... y… oh, yeah! Get ready for Morphtronic Boomboxen, comin' atcha live! Hey!" Leo says. Morphtronic Boomboxen has 1200 attack points, 400 defense points, is a level 4 monster and is an earth type monster.

When the monster card Morphtronic Boomboxen is attacked while in defense mode, that attack can be negated once per turn.

"Now I play a face down and end my turn!" Says Leo. _"Now if he plays a monster card next round and attacks with it, boy will he ever be surprised when I flip over my __face down__! 'Cause then I'll be able to summon out this bad boy!" _Leo thinks to himself. He looks at another card in his hand. _"And then I'll have him right where I want 'im!" _Leo thinks to himself.

In Zigzix's office in the generator plant, the needle of the D-Tector hasn't moved at all. Zigzix plays with some dials. "Still no signal! Zilch! Nothing! Come on, Luna, any day now. We need to find out if you have the Mark of the Dragon." Zigzix says.

In the stadium, the hidden transmitters blink and Luna puts a hand to her head. "Something wrong?" Asks Dexter. "Just a headache." Luna says.

"It's my turn. I draw! And from my hand I summon Trap Reactor•Y FI to the field in attack mode." Says Greiger. Trap Reactor•Y FI has 800 attack points. "Trap Reactor, attack! Take out Morphtronic Celfon!" Greiger says.

"Gotcha, Greiger! I activate my 'Morphtransition' trap card! And now I can switch my Celfon to defense mode and put your attack on hold!" Says Leo.

"Ha! By playing your trap, you walked right into mine! It's called 'Trap Reactor' for a reason, after all! You see, 'Trap Reactor' reacts to your trap card activation, and lays directly into you for eight hundred points of damage. Attack!" Greiger says. Rain of lasers.

Leo's lifepoints decrease to 2400.

In the stands. "Oh no!" Says Luna, Dexter and Yanagi. "This guy's playin' a real bait-n'-switch game, makin' Leo's moves backfire. It's almost like he's toying with Leo to get 'im all worked up emotionally." Tanner says.

Backstage. _"Don't let 'im get to you, Leo." _Yusei thinks to himself.

Leo puts his arms down after using them to shield his face. "That was a cheap shot!" Says Leo.

_"That's right, get fired up. Goodwin says you might be a Signer, so bring it on! Defeat me with the power of the Crimson Dragon!" _Greiger thinks to himself.

The D-Tector still hasn't budged. "Still nothing. Maybe if…" Zigzix says. The computer starts beeping. "Huh?" Asks Zigzix.

"I'm not done with you yet, little girl! I've got more fight for you!" Greiger says.

"Bring it!" Says Leo.

"I summon Reactor•SK, unplug that Boomboxen permanently!" Greiger says. It attacks, then stops.

"It appears that Summon Reactor•SK has been grounded by Boomboxen!" Says the announcer.

"Haha! When my Boomboxen's in defense mode, it's able to tune out one attack every turn!" Leo says.

"But that only allows me to use 'Damage Summon'. See, after an unsuccessful attack on your monster, 'Damage Summon' allows me to sacrifice eight hundred lifepoints in order to summon a new monster." Says Greiger.

"So you're sacrificing your own lifepoints again?!" Leo asks.

"I am, and next I summon Spell Reactor•RE to the field." Says Greiger. Spell Reactor•RE has 1200 attack points, 900 defense points and is a level 3 monster.

When your opponent activates a spell card, Spell Reactor•RE destroys that card and deals eight hundred points of damage once per turn.

"You might not like the sound of this, but, Spell Reactor•RE, beat down that Boomboxen!" Greiger says.

"My tunes! Aww...!" Says Leo.

"I place one card face down and end my turn." Greiger says.

_"Finally, he's done. At least I was able to keep Celfon around. 'Cause as long as it's still in play, I can use it to summon Gadget Hauler next, and once I do that it'll be game over for Greiger!" _Leo thinks to himself, relieved.

Backstage. _"He's still focusing on combos he likes. He's not adapting." _Yusei thinks to himself.

"You don't seem very rattled. Don't you realize that I've backed you into a corner?!" Asks Greiger.

"Huh?" Leo asks.

"I've got all three of my Reactor monsters on my field. You've already brought direct damage on yourself by summoning out monsters and triggering trap cards. So what power d'you think this next Reactor monster possesses? Seems obvious to me." Says Greiger.

_"Of course! If I use a spell, I'll take direct damage from Spell Reactor•RE! And 'cause of the other two, if I summon a monster or activate a trap, I'll get nailed, too! Not good." _Leo thinks to himself. "Ahh..!" The frightened Leo begins to see Greiger glowing and then turn into a huge, overwhelming monster made of purple light, towering over him.

"That's right! Every duelist needs to be able to summon monsters, and activate traps and spells! But if you do any of that, you're going to bring damage onto yourself! I could spend the rest of the duel doing nothing but watching you chip away at your own lifepoints every time you try to do something." Greiger says.

Yusei watches Leo start to freak out on the screen backstage._ "Don't get scared." _Yusei thinks to himself.

Zigzix's eyes are rolling in opposite directions in their sockets. "I'm still not getting any signal whatsoever! Maybe the girl's just not a Signer." Says Zigzix, via-monitor. "We've conducted an investigation. We have every reason to believe she is. Your job is to find us the hard proof we need, Zigzix. You can do that, can't you?" Lazar asks. "Hm, there is one anomaly I should probably mention. The sensor has detected a faint signal coming from the stands." Says Zigzix, via-monitor. "From the stands?! And not from Luna?!" Lazar asks.

Meanwhile, in the stands. Luna's headache has gotten worse. Tanner, Yanagi and Dexter have all stopped watching the match. "You okay? Should we get you to a doc?" Asks Dexter. "I'm fine. It's just a little headache." Luna says.

_"So every time I make a move, I'm gonna lose eight hundred lifepoints. I don't know what to do...! I'm stuck. No, I just have to adapt!" _Leo thinks to himself. "You're goin' down!" Says Leo, yelling.

_"Finally, she's getting fired up! Get angry, kid. __S__how me that __M__ark!" _Greiger thinks to himself.

"I've never tried this before, but here goes. This next round determines everything! It's my move!" Leo says. He draws. "Now I draw and activate Celfon's special ability! Dial, now!" Says Leo.

When Morphtronic Celfon is in defense mode, it randomly dials a number and allows you to look at the same number of cards from the top of your deck as the number selected.

"What's it gonna be? It's a three! And I can look at three cards!" Leo says. The top three cards are Morphtronic Magnen, Morphtronic Datatron and a spell that's unrecognized. _"Sweet! I've got more Morphtronics on the way! I think I can win this!" _Leo thinks to himself. "I switch Celfon into attack mode! Start dialiiing… now!" Says Leo. _"I gotta be able to bust out Morphtronic Datatron! C'mon, one! One!" _Leo thinks to himself. It stops. "Okay! There we go! Hah! I summon Morphtronic Datatron in attack mode!" Leo says. Morphtronic Datatron has 1200 attack points, 600 defense points and is a level 3 monster.

The crowd cheers and the transmitters blink more. Luna is cringing down in her seat, moaning and holding her head. That headache is getting really bad. "Is it getting worse, Luna?" Asks Dexter. Luna is slumping over, listlessly. "I can't tell... I just feel really weak..." Luna says, in a weak voice.

"Your lifepoints don't stand a chance against me, little girl! 'Cause no matter what card you play you're taking damage!" Says Greiger.

"These Reactors of Greiger have got Luna pinned to the wall!" The announcer says.

Leo's lifepoints are now 1600.

"I can't watch! And yet I can't look away!" Says the announcer.

"This is it! By, um, releasing a monster on my field. I can activate Datatron's special power, which'll burn you with six hundred points of direct damage. So I release Celfon!" Leo says.

"Hm!" Says Greiger. His lifepoints are now 2100, he barely flinches.

"Okay, so far so good. And now, I release Datatron in order to advance-summon Gadget Hauler!" Leo says. Gadget Hauler has 1300 attack points. "Ta-da! Now, unless I'm mistaken. I won't take any damage 'cause Summon Reactor's special ability only works once a turn, right?" Asks Leo. The look on Greiger's face says that he is indeed right.

In the stands. "Phew! I was wondering why he risked another summon." Yanagi says. "That, was a good call. Leo needs to stay focused now and not go crazy or break loose." Says Tanner.

"Time to break loose! From my hand, I release Morphtronic Magnen! Now whenever I send one of my Morphtronics from my hand to the graveyard, Gadget Hauler gains eight hundred attack points!" Leo says. It now has 2100 attack points.

_"Thatta girl, come at me with everything you've got!" _Greiger thinks to himself.

"Next I activate the 'Factory of One Hundred Machines' spell! And with the power of this card, I'm able to remove every Morphtronic in my graveyard from play!" Says Leo.

"What's this all about?! It appears as if four of Luna's Morphtronic monsters are hitch-hiking a ride with Gadget Hauler!" The announcer says.

"For every machine-type monster hitching a ride with it, it gains two hundred attack points. So nooow, it's got a whopping twenty-nine-hundred!" Says Leo.

The crowd cheers.

"The activation of that spell card brings you one step closer to certain defeat! Spell Reactor, attack! And that leaves you with only eight hundred lifepoints, little girl! One more move and you're finished!" Greiger says.

"No, not if I attack. You don't have a Battle Reactor! Gadget Hauler, take out his Trap Reactor•Y FI!" Says Leo. Gadget Hauler unfolds a big cannon and opens fire with a blaze of blue-white light. "Yeah-hah!" Leo says, cheering.

In the stands. "Greiger had twenty-one-hundred lifepoints. If this attack worked, then your bro might have a chance!" Says Dexter. "Go, Leo!" Luna says.

"There you are!" Says Zigzix. On his computer screen, a figure sitting in the stands and holding its hands to its head is highlighted and sending out waves of energy. Zigzix has found Luna.

Yusei is backstage, watching silently.

"Did it work?" Leo asks.

The smoke begins to clear, Greiger is still standing and that laugh is not pleasant. "Hmhmhmhmhmhm. You may be small, but you have a warrior's spirit. As a warrior myself, I salute your strength!" Says Greiger.

"Well thanks I guess, but how come you're not, like, damaged?" Leo asks.

"Because of the 'Delta Reactor' trap card." Says Greiger.

"What does that do?!" Leo asks.

"By sending Summon Reactor, Trap Reactor and Spell Reactor to the graveyard, I can negate your attack and activate 'Delta Reactor', and use Flying Fortress SKY FIRE to summon a rain of doom!" Says Greiger.

"Ah!"

"It looks as if Greiger has activated the fatal trap card, this duel might be over! Could Luna be our first loser?" The announcer asks.

"Aaaahhh!" Leo drops his hand.

Yusei is still watching, silently.

"I activate Flying Fortress SKY FIRE's special ability. And with this, I can send a card to my graveyard in order to obliterate one card you have on the field! Victory is mine!" Says Greiger. SKY FIRE bombs Gadget Hauler.

"Gadget Hauler!" Leo says, yelling.

"And now you're wide-open for a direct attack!" Says Greiger.

It drops a bomb right on Leo, who screams. Leo's lifepoints hit zero and he falls over.

"It's over! Greiger will be advancing to the second round, and, Luna will be getting a gift basket." The announcer says.

Leo is on his knees. "I can't believe I, lost, man this stinks!" Says Leo.

In the stands. "Too bad." Dexter says. "He dueled well, though." Says Yanagi. "Ah...!" Luna says. "What is it?" Asks Yanagi. "My headache's gone! Just like that!" Luna says.

A little while later. Greiger is walking down a back hallway somewhere.

Lazar walks up to him. "Bra-vo, Mr. Greiger." Says Lazar. He bows. "That was quite an explosive duel! Mm-hm-hm-hmhmhmhmhmhm!" Lazar says. "Your intel's bad. You said you were looking for a girl, that kid was obviously a boy." Says Greiger. "It seems we were the victims of a little identity prank." Lazar says. He shows Greiger a dossier with Leo's and Luna's pictures side-by-side. "Twins?" Asks Greiger. "Twins." Lazar says.

Goodwin is back in front of the same monitor through which he was conversing with Zigzix earlier, who is reporting. "The D-Tector wasn't picking up any Ener-D from the kid dueling, but, I did end up getting a signal. It was coming from this girl in the stands." Says Zigzix, via-monitor. He shows a picture of Luna, talking to Yanagi and Dexter. "So now, we just have to push her to her limits." Zigzix says, via-monitor. Goodwin begins to show a small smile.


	17. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16: Battle With The Black Rose_

The Kaibadome is big and noisy, cheering for the next round of the Fortune Cup.

Leo, Luna and Dexter are walking down a hallway. "Hey, try and cheer up, Leo. It's not like everyone saw you lose." Luna says. "Yeah, she's right. Fifteen million tops." Says Dexter. "Thanks." Leo says, sarcastically.

"It's not a loss if you learn something. Now you know more than you did before, right, Leo?" Asks Yusei. He's leaning against the wall in the hallway ahead of them.

"Huh?" Leo, Luna and Dexter all ask. "Chht, yeah, more about losing! I just can't wait to use that in my next match…" Says Leo.

"Excuse me!" Akiza says, sounding cross and impatient. She hurries up the hall going the other way. Akiza is fair-skinned, with brown eyes and dark burgundy hair. Akiza's hair is mostly chin-length, with the addition of long, elbow-length, bangs that frame both sides of her face. Akiza rolls her front bangs, with a device similar to a hair curler on top of her head. Akiza wears a low-cut, red corset, with short, light green, puffy sleeves and a high collar. Akiza also sports a sleeveless, magenta trench coat, that flares behind her, which is shorter and pleated in the front. Akiza wears a red choker and an emerald crested, golden cross-shaped medallion, as well as a pair of black, elbow-length, fingerless gloves, with a pair of golden bracelets above them. Akiza's stockings are the same color as her gloves and she wears red, high-heeled sandals with them. Akiza's height appears to be the same as Skylar's, 5'4", her weight seems to be 94lbs, and her bust size looks to be a 34DD. As she passes Yusei, Akiza's brown eyes meet his royal blue eyes for a charged moment.

Then Akiza's walking away and the three kids scramble to get out of her way.

"Huh. So what's her problem?!" Asks Leo.

Yusei watches Akiza go, darkly apprehensive.

"Sir Ransborg, reporting as you requested, my liege." Goodwin and Lazar are speaking to Sir Ransborg, one of the Fortune Eight. Lazar chuckles, delighted. "I told you he'd be perfect for this duel. The costume might be a bit melodramatic, but he said he wouldn't duel without it." Lazar says. "Is it true that I am to duel an opponent of thy female persuasion, your Highness? Chivalry forbids this. Thy fairer species is too weak, my lord." Says Ransborg. "What if I told you she was the Black Rose? It is believed that her cards wield a power so real that they have been known to come to life!" Goodwin says. "I see… a witch!" Says Ransborg. "Are you afraid, Sir Ransborg? You know, if you don't fulfill your obligation, well, you might just find yourself dueling at a renaissance fair." Lazar says. "My word is my bond, so I will engage this Black Rose in battle!" Says Ransborg. Lazar chuckles. Behind them, a large screen monitors Akiza, as she walks down the hallway. "Hmhmhmhmhm! Just don't go easy on her in the arena. Push her to exhaustion. We must see if she has the Mark of the Dragon." Lazar says. "Fear not! Thy she-creature is no match for Sir Gilder Ransborg! On my sword..." Ransborg draws it and holds it at the guard position. "I swear the Black Rose will taste defeat!" Says Ransborg. He leaves, cape and helmet-plume billowing behind him.

The holographic screens are doing graphical card tricks.

The big holographic Sphere in the center of the stadium shows Ransborg and Akiza.

"Welcome back. Our next duel is about to begin! And now, entering the arena, a knight in shining armor! It's the one, the only, Gilder Ransborg!" The announcer says.

Ransborg enters the arena, via elevator, and lifts his sword high. "Hyah! Good people of New Domino! Thou shall knowest my blade and my deck from the attacks thee shall witness!" Says Ransborg.

The crowd cheers.

"While we wait for a Shakespearean scholar to translate all that, let's get ready for his opponent." The announcer says.

In the stands. "This guy can't be serious." Says Yanagi. "Don't get me started on that big faker, grandpa. I wore that same costume last Halloween." Tanner says.

"Now entering the arena, his opponent, with a record of… well, it appears we don't have any record for her. But we can say she's, um, uh… Are you saying we have no information for her?! Um, well, Domino City, let's hear it for Miss. Akiza Izinski!" Says the announcer.

Akiza is frowning, grimly, eyes closed, as though preparing to endure something unpleasant. When the lights come on, Akiza raises her head and faces her opponent with a calm, blank expression.

"I have the strangest feeling like we've seen her before." Leo says. "You mean like in the hallway?" Asks Dexter. "No, before that! Get with it, Dexter!" Leo says. "Aaah!" Says Luna, gasping. She's staring at the deck of cards in Akiza's duel disk, as she stands on the field. Luna's gray-gold eyes are wide, with a bemused sort of alarm. "What is it, Luna?" Leo asks. "There's something with her deck. It's like I can feel it in pain!" Says Luna. "Like how you felt with Skylara's when you read her duel card spirits?" Leo asks. "Nothing has ever been as dark as Skylara's deck, but Akiza's is very similar to hers. Like Skylara's felt like it was in pain, but hers also felt as if it was missing something. Akiza's is a different kind of pain though, as if she feels lost and abandoned, but theirs sort of both felt like that." Says Luna. "Can you compare the two?" Leo asks. "Yes, Skylara's was like the whole Underworld is hanging around her, as if waiting for her to unlock the fiery gates of… you know where. Akiza's on the other hand is as if she's trapped in a dark pit of despair trying to find the way out, but can never find the light to escape." Says Luna. "So basically you're saying their both…" Leo says. "Trapped, Leo. Their both trapped in their own ways. I'll say this, Skylara and Akiza are very similar to each other, but yet they're still very different from each other. And I can't explain it anymore than that, Leo." Says Luna.

In a shadowy corner of the stands, a man named Sayer is watching, intently. Sayer clasps his hands._ "Show them what you're made of." _Sayer thinks to himself.

Yusei is watching on the monitor backstage. _"Akiza, is it?"_ Yusei thinks to himself.

On the field._ "So. This be thy opponent I am to battle."_ Ransborg thinks to himself. "You'll find no mercy here, Sorceress! But you will find defeat!" Ransborg says.

"Let's duel!" Says both Akiza and Ransborg.

"Ready, fair maiden? Behold! I summoneth a level-three Masked Knight!" Ransborg says. Masked Knight has 1500 attack points, 800 defense points and is a level 3 monster. "Thee shall suffer this… its ability most special!" Says Ransborg.

It blasts Akiza and the blast connects with her, as though hitting a solid wall, she doesn't twitch. Akiza's lifepoints now read 3600.

"Thou loseth four hundred points. Forthwith, I shall call upon mine spell… 'Level Up'! Thee hath served nobly, but be banished to thy yard of graves, for thou brother-in-arms now be summoned! Masked Knight, level the fifth! And thus, like thy comrade in abilities most special, thou shalt feel the sharp sting as forces align against thee! Lifepoints most foul, begone!" Ransborg says.

Akiza's lifepoints now read 2600.

"I shall yield with a face down. Thine turn." Says Ransborg.

"Can our mystery duelist come back from this? Does she have a chance?! Will I understand anything Sir Ransborg says in this duel?!" The announcer asks.

Goodwin and Lazar are watching from the tower window again. "It's all going according to our plan. Sir. Ransborg will push her to her limits, and then we'll know for certain if she's a Signer." Says Lazar. Goodwin smiles, fiercely, then glances back at Jack and Skylar.

Jack's sitting on the couch, while Skylar is still sitting on the armrest, with one leg crossed over the other. Skylar's on the same side of the couch as Jack. They're almost basically right next to each other. Its obvious Jack wants to say something to Skylar, but can't find the words to say. Jack's purple eyes glance Skylar's way for a few seconds and then brings his eyes back to the duel. As soon as Jack's eyes look away, Skylar's emerald green eyes glance down at him, as if she knew he was going to say something. Skylar's eyes then focus back on the duel.

"Fear not, maiden of the darkness! Defeat is soon!" Ransborg says.

There is complete silence.

"A silent tongue? Or hath a viper take hold of thee?" Asks Ransborg.

Akiza draws. "No! I'm getting tired of having to listen to your bad accent!" Akiza says. She summons a defensive monster. Wall of Ivy has 1200 defense points.

"She just played Wall of Ivy." Says Tanner. "It's a great card if you're looking for some defense." Dexter says.

"Huh?" Asks Ransborg.

"And next, I'll activate a spell card… 'Seed of Deception'! With this, I get the power to summon another level-two plant monster from my hand! Or in some words that you can understand, thou are about to be royally played!" Akiza says. Copy Plant has 0 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a wind type monster. "Now that Copy Plant's on my field, it gets to power up to the level of a monster on your field. And I can't think of anyone more perfect than your level-five Knight! This fair maiden would like to thank you for all your help!" Says Akiza.

"Hm?" Ransborg asks. He looks into the 'eyes' of the duplicate of Masked Knight that was created by Copy Plant, the likeness is eerie.

"I'm not sure I follow what she's doing, Tanner." Says Yanagi. "She's gonna synchro-summon!" Both Leo and Dexter say. "Aah!" Yanagi screams.

"I fear you not, my lady." Says Ransborg.

"You should! Because I'm tuning Copy Plant with my Wall of Ivy! It's time you stopped playing with plastic swords and dice, Ransborg! Now I summon to the field… Black Rose Dragon!" Akiza says. With wings of red petals and black, thorny vines lashing from its sides, the largest of which is its tail, Black Rose Dragon roars its fury and a strong wind begins to blow.

Backstage. Yusei winces, gripping his right arm.

In the room Goodwin, Lazar, Jack and Skylar are in. Skylar does the same, wincing and gripping her right arm, only she's also clutching at her legs, as well. _"I knew Akiza seemed familiar to me. And now that dragon proves that I was right. And the same feeling as before when Yusei and I ran into Black Rose. Akiza is the Black Rose." _Skylar thinks to herself. Jack is doing the same thing, too, but he isn't wincing, he's just gripping at his right arm.

"What's with all the wind?!" Asks Tanner. The crowd is beginning to get scared.

Ransborg weathers it.

Sayer watches, silently.

Black Rose Dragon has 2400 attack points.

"'Tis true! Thou be-est the Black Rose! Stay back!" Ransborg says.

The crowd. "…Black... Rose?" "…It is! Look! Only Black Rose can summon Black Rose Dragon!"

"Ah-hmhmhmhmhmhm! Well she didn't waste any time, did she?" Asks Lazar.

Skylar is struggling to keep quiet from the pain in her right arm and both of her legs. Jack is doing the same with his own right arm, but with hardly any luck.

Backstage. Yusei is struggling to stay quiet from the pain in his right arm, too.

Flashback. The cloaked, masked figure became visible through the dust… and she was looking right at the burning Sign of the Dragon on Skylara's arm and abdomen, and the markings on her legs, and the Sign on Yusei's arm.

"Your arms! You also have marks! Stay away from me!" Black Rose says. She whipped out another card, acting fast and vanished in a blast of light. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Yusei is staring at the screen. "I've seen that dragon before." Says Yusei.

"Then congratulations. Most who come face-to-face with it never duel again. It has been said that the Black Rose Dragon's wrath can cause true destruction." Greiger says.

Black Rose Dragon spreads its wings over the arena, in glory.

The crowd chatters, appreciatively. "…That's so cool!" "…This is the best Fortune Cup ever!" "My friends're gonna be so jealous I'm here!"

"Fear not! Thy knight shall do battle with the great beast, and thy dark maiden shall be made to pay for this!" Says Ransborg. _"Unless mine eyes deceive me, she knows not of my __face down_ _'__Sakuretu Armor__'__ waiting to strike." _Ransborg thinks to himself.

Akiza's face remains expressionless, her brown eyes intense.

"Your eyes do vex." Ransborg says.

"I'll take that as a complement. But in case it wasn't, I should let you know something. Black Rose Dragon takes out all of your cards, Ransborg!" Says Akiza.

"Curses!" Ransborg says.

"Go, Black Rose Gale!" Says Akiza. A huge windstorm hits, blowing black petals every direction.

"I don't believe it! An incredible tornado has struck inside the arena!" The announcer says.

Glowing rose petals swirl through the air, Black Rose Dragon has also destroyed herself with this move and the field is empty.

"So, thou can command the wind." Says Ransborg.

"Among other things. Now watch… as I play my field spell, 'Black Garden'!" Akiza says.

"What evil is this!" Says Ransborg.

Vines sprout between Akiza's feet and spread. Within moments, the entire field is surrounded by a cage of dark vines that sprout pale lavender roses. Within the 'Black Garden', dreary mist turns the sky gray, shading the duelists from the bright sunny day. "It's your move, Ransborg." Akiza says.

The crowd. "…The Black Rose does have magic powers!"

"Mine turn! Hyah! I shall activate-eth mine spell… 'The Warrior Returneth Alive'. It hath the power to returneth my monsters from beyond the dark vale of the grave. Masked Knight, level the third, rejoin thy battle! You shall fight again!" Says Ransborg. As soon as it's summoned, Masked Knight is ensnared with vines. "Ah! What be this?!" Ransborg asks.

"This be the power of my 'Black Garden'! As long as we're inside this greenhouse, your monster's attack points are cut in half, and a rose token blossoms on my field! I'm sure a knight like you can handle a few thorns. Watch her beauty bloom!" Says Akiza. A rose token, a rose about half as tall as she is with 800 attack points, grows out of the space in front of herself. "And be sure that you take in the sweet smell of... my success. Haha." Akiza says. She inhales a black rose she happens to be holding, she may've picked it off the field spell.

"With Masked Knight's attack points sliced in half, Sir Ransborg can't get close to the Black Rose!" Says the announcer.

It's true, Masked Knight's attack points are now at 750. _"Mine points attacketh matter not. Thine monsters shall still fall to thy Knight's ability most special!" _Ransborg thinks to himself. "Vengeance is mine!" Ransborg says.

Akiza gets hit for damage and once again doesn't even kinda flinch. 2200 lifepoints.

"You yield?" Asks Ransborg.

"Not with my 'Doppelganger' trap card in play!" Akiza says.

With the trap card 'Doppelganger', when you take damage from the special ability of your opponent's monster, your opponent takes the same amount of damage.

"Take that, you big tin can!" Says Akiza.

Ransborg's lifepoints go down to 3600.

"Oh no! It looks like Sir Ransborg took his first hit, and it is a major one." The announcer says.

Ransborg has a small cut on his cheek, he looks at it, nervously.

"His face!" Says Leo. "She gave him a scar..." Dexter says. "I guess her powers are real." Says Tanner. "Agh, let's go home! If she can do that to him, what'll she do to us?" Yanagi asks.

Ransborg is holding a cloth to his face. "'Tis but a mere scratch. Her powers scare not this brave warrior. But ere witch shall pay!" Says Ransborg.

Beat.

Akiza looks at Ransborg. "Be careful who you call a witch." Akiza says, subtly bitter and sinister.

"A threat! You shall pay dearly for that! Rrgh! I casteth two cards face down! Thine turn!" Says Ransborg.

"I know. And for starters I'll play my spell 'Mark of the Rose', which lets me select one of the monsters on your side of the field and take control of it. Masked Knight, whaddaya think about joining me?" Akiza asks, sweetly.

Masked Knight vanishes from Ransborg's field and appears kneeling before her, a rose-shaped mark stamped on its helmet. Akiza reaches out a hand, with a somewhat eerie chuckle and accepts the Knight's fealty.

"Oh, my! He appears to be quite smitten with her." Says Yanagi.

"Ggggh!" Ransborg says, gasping.

"It looks as though your monster has sworn his allegiance to me. I think it's time to let Sir Ransborg feel the sting of your betrayal!" Says Akiza.

"Agh!" Masked Knight attacks and knocks him down to 2850 lifepoints. "Thou bewitched the heart of my noble Knight! Thou shall suffer for such insolence!" Ransborg says.

"Not before this, I equip the spell 'Vengeful Servant' on my new Masked Knight. So now, when he goes back to your control at the end of my turn, you lose even more lifepoints! One for each of his attack points!" Says Akiza.

"You dare not!" Ransborg says.

"Oh, no, I do dare! Looks like it's the end of my turn. Masked Knight, why don't you go on home and unleash the true power of my 'Vengeful Servant'. Now, strike down his lifepoints!" Says Akiza.

Masked Knight returns and goes straight for Ransborg, who dodges, but gets cornered. 1350 lifepoints.

"This rose has thorns! In just one round she's pulled up the roots of Ransborg's lead like it was a weed infestation!" The announcer says.

"Thine girl shall suffer my wrath! With this, mine trap card! Thy 'Level Change'! Thy turn hath not finished as of yet, Black Rose! Mine traitorous Masked Knight Level the Third shall be sacrificed to the yard of graves, so that a far nobler warrior might take thine place… my Masked Knight Level the Fifth! Returneth to thy battle my brave warrior!" Says Ransborg.

"Sir Ransborg's cracked the Black Rose's combo! This is anyone's duel now!" The announcer says.

"It appears you forgot about 'Black Garden'. For every monster you summon, its attack points are cut in half!" Says Akiza.

Masked Knight gets wrapped in vines.

"And not only that, but I'll be getting another rose token. Now, I end my turn." Akiza says.

"Sorceress! You dare enchant mine monsters with thine spells?! Thy garden be no Eden but shall fall the same!" Says Ransborg. He draws. "Now, my Knight… you have earned promotion for brave service against thy most wicked opponent!" Ransborg says.

"He's right! Thanks to Masked Knight's special ability, he upgrades from level five all the way to level seven!" Says the announcer.

"Now, join my side! Hyah!" Ransborg says.

"'Black Garden', do your thing!" Says Akiza.

Masked Knight is wrapped in vines, its attack points are reduced to 1450.

"Once again, another rose token shall bloom." Akiza says.

"Impressive. Those Rose Tokens of hers can't be destroyed in battle. She's got an impenetrable wall. The question is, can she hold out? Not even a pretty garden can stop Ransborg forever. I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before that Black Rose gets clipped." Says Greiger, addressing Yusei.

"Foul she-creature! Thou hath draped thy arena in dark foliage, yea hath seduced my Knights, but now, thy dark deck shall fall before my might! Behold… my 'Glory Shield'! With it, my Masked Knight be impervious to any of thy bewitching spells!" Ransborg says.

"Nice move, and now when Ransborg decides to bring in the big blades, and attack with Masked Knight, Black Rose can't use her spell cards or traps." Says Tanner. "And if it does damage, it destroys a card. Maybe Black Rose just isn't so powerful after all." Dexter says.

"Masked Knight, unleash thine powers on thy darkest of monsters… the tokens of rose! Cry havoc and strike down thy maiden's lifepoints!" Says Ransborg.

"And Ransborg brings the hammer down, or should I say sword! As Akiza takes a big hit!" The announcer says.

Akiza's down to 1550 lifepoints.

The crowd is cheering.

"Black Rose is starting to wilt. A few more attacks like that, and she'll be checking the want adds, does anyone need a gardener?" Asks the announcer.

"And now my 'Glory Shield' effect destroyeth thine 'Doppelganger'! With thy cursed spell lost to thee, Masked Knight… unleash thine effect most special!" Ransborg says. Blast, big explosion.

Akiza once again doesn't even flinch, as she gets taken down to 50 lifepoints.

Leo and Dexter cheer. "Only fifty lifepoints left?! This duel is all but over! It's a fourth encore, it's a party with no music, it's the closing credits!" Says the announcer. "I end mine turn." Ransborg says.

Backstage. "So, d'you think it's over?" Asks Greiger. "Not a chance. She's just getting warmed up." Yusei says. "And why d'you think that? You know her? Some ancient, mystical bond?" Asks Greiger.

"Thine turn. And any last words, fair maiden? For you shall not see another! Ha!" Ransborg says.

"Yeah, I got some last words. This duel's over!" Says Akiza.

"Liar!" Ransborg says.

Akiza draws.

_"You hath lost already, my dear. I see-eth thine cards as if they be mine… you shall release your tokens of rose, hoping against hope to summon a creature, and that shall be thy undoing. For once summoned, thy __'__Black Garden__'__ will afford me a token of rose. __Y__ou shall attack, and you shall fail! For you hath no idea what dwells beneath mine card most __face down__! Like all duelists who battle before me, you hath no mind for strategy! Waiting for you is my __'__Martyr Flag__'__, a trap most simple, true! But it shall double thy attack points of my Masked Knight! You shall taste the agony of defeat, and learn not to tread here in mine arena!" _Ransborg thinks to himself.

"So, what to do? I think I'll destroy my 'Black Garden'!" Says Akiza. 'Black Garden's' rich vines turn brown and brittle.

"What's this, a trick of some sort?!" Ransborg asks.

"Trick? No. Strategy, yes! See, you've got to learn to look beyond the beauty of my roses. By destroying my 'Black Garden' and my rose tokens, I get to summon a new monster. One that's in my graveyard." Says Akiza.

"You would not!" Ransborg says.

"Oh, boy." Says Greiger.

"It can't be!" Yanagi, Leo and Dexter all say. "Ah..." Says Luna, gasping.

"Now if my math is correct, and it always is, then Akiza has sacrificed enough attack points to summon, the Black Rose Dragon!" The announcer says.

Out of the fallen branches of 'Black Garden' begins to emerge power.

In the crowd. "…That thing is dangerous!"

"Now say hello to my Black Rose Dragon!" Says Akiza. It appears in a cyclone of purple light.

Black Rose Dragon is a level-eight fire-attribute synchro monster that has twenty-four-hundred attack points and eighteen-hundred defense points.

"Akiza did it, but is it too late? With 'Black Garden' gone, Masked Knight's attack points go back to their maximum, and if you know anything about fairytales. When it comes to knights versus dragons, it never ends well for the dragon!" The announcer says.

"With nothing else on her field, Black Rose can't win this. Too bad, too. I'd thought she had it." Says Tanner.

"Ye truly are a fool, milady! Perhaps ye should lay thy cards down and go tend to thine garden… green thumb you hath not when it comes to dueling!" Ransborg says.

"I sure hate to admit it, but it looks like this duel's over." Says Greiger. "Yeah, but it won't play out like ya think." Yusei says. "Say what?" Asks Greiger.

Akiza removes Wall of Ivy from her graveyard. "Due to my Black Rose Dragon's special ability. If I remove a plant-type monster in my graveyard from play, your Masked Knight's attack points go to zero! Go Black Binding Bloom!" Akiza says.

Black Rose Dragon wraps Masked Knight in vines and its attack points indeed go to zero.

"But… thouest cannot do that to me!" Says Ransborg. His accent starts to break down and he gets nerdy. "It be not fair! I spent all year making this costume for this special tournament! I'm not supposed to lose!" Ransborg says.

"Well too bad! And next time you want to play dress-up, you should realize it's not what you wear on the outside that makes you who you are, but what's on the inside!" Says Akiza.

"Eh, I wanna go home! Take it easy now!" Ransborg says.

"I am taking it easy. Black Rose Dragon, attack!" Says Akiza.

Huge purplish-red fireball and Ransborg screams.

The crowd yells with fear.

Goodwin and Lazar watch the storm of purple flames below. "Hahahahahaha. I think Ransborg worked well. Now to check in with Zigzix. So tell us, what did your 'D-Tector' see?" Lazar asks. "Well, um, there was no Signer energy! We got nothing!" Says Zigzix, via-holoscreen. Lazar looks at Goodwin, slyly, who doesn't return the look. "Then keep looking." Goodwin says.

Jack and Skylar watch this scene, his expression austere, hers stern. Jack is gripping his right arm. Skylar is holding at her legs and clenching at her right arm, as well…

... Just as Yusei is gripping at his own right arm. "I knew she'd win that duel." Says Yusei, murmuring. "Whaddayou mean, like you two are connected?" Greiger asks.

Akiza watches Ransborg fall. "I dunno, but there's something between us." Says Yusei, in voice-over.

Ransborg topples to the ground, scratched and scorched all over, lifepoints sinking to zero.

The crowd is freaked. "…Her monsters're real!" "…Boo! Get 'er outta here!" Yusei's friends look around, nervously. "Uh..." Yanagi, Leo and Dexter all say, gasping.

_"Not a bad win, Akiza. But I got a bad feeling that your real fight, is just about to get started. Good luck!" _Sayer thinks to himself.

Akiza stands on the field alone, silhouetted against the bright blue sky.


	18. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17: Surprise, Surprise!_

The Kaibadome and the area all around it is bustling with excitement.

The holographic screen high above the center of the arena reads 'Fortune Cup'.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I know we're all still reeling from that incredible second match, but it's almost time for our third! It's Yusei versus Shira!" The announcer says.

Backstage somewhere, Yusei's working on his runner and speaking with Tanner. "Whaddaya know about this Shira?" Asks Yusei. "A coupla fellas I know had some run-ins with the guy a few years back, in the underground duels. According to them, he wasn't exactly a fan a' playin' nice. Back then, he was callin' himself the Shadow Reaper." Tanner says.

Flashback. Shira was the guy standing in line at the opening ceremony, with the black robes and orange flames on the shoulders. "Apparently he never takes off those creepy robes a' his." Says Tanner. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "You plannin' on usin' Stardust Dragon?" Tanner asks. Yusei pauses and then looks away. "I'm saving Stardust for my duel against Jack. And when I face him, he's gonna wish he never gave it back to me." Says Yusei.

Outside the stadium, there is a gigantic hologram of Jack. A familiar individual on a runner is looking up at it. _"Jack Atlas. I can't believe you didn't invite me to your little party! Then again it's gonna be fun crashin' it!"_ Hunter thinks to himself. He revs up and rides through the crowd. "Comin' through!" Hunter says.

"We got trouble! Halt! Stop right there!"

"Not!" Says Hunter.

"Pull over immediate…"

Hunter jumps, using the guard's helmet for a ramp, as the guard ducks and he races up a flight of stairs. "Ahahahahah!"

"After 'im!"

Hunter zooms into the lobby, thoroughly shocking everyone present, and down a hallway.

The guards are in hot pursuit on foot. "This way!"

Another guard runs up to the security chasing Hunter, and points, imperatively. "We got this corridor blocked off, head over to the east side!" "You heard the man!" The troop of guards runs down the side corridor the other guard was indicating.

The other guard turns, recognizing Hunter's clever disguise. "Eheheheh." Hunter suddenly gasps and ducks behind the corner.

Lazar is approaching and he's in conversation with Yusei's impending opponent, Shira. "We need you to get Yusei as worked-up as possible so his mark appears. But don't expect this to be easy, that Satellite knows what he's doing. In an off-the-record duel, he defeated Jack Atlas." Lazar says.

"Someone defeated Jack in a duel?!" Asks Hunter, muttering to himself.

Shira whirls around and throws a card that englishes around the corner, right into where Hunter is hiding.

A moment later, a small white rat runs out of the hallway. "You've got rats." Shira says, addressing Lazar. "Ugh! Um, as I was saying, this boy's skill should not be taken lightly..." Says Lazar. They continue walking down the hallway.

Hunter laughs. "Hahahahahaha! So Yusei defeated Jack!" Hunter says. He laughs even harder, as Shira's card, the normal monster Dokuroyaiba, is stuck level-stars-deep into his stolen police helmet. "Hahahahahahahahah!"

Out in the stadium, the crowd is makin' some noise for the next duel. "Let's go get some cotton candy or something." Says Leo, addressing Dexter. "The duel's about to start." Dexter says. "I can't wait to see Yusei turbo-duel!" Says Yanagi. "Hmm." Tanner says. _"I wonder what Goodwin wants with Yusei? First he lets 'im outta the Facility, then he invites 'im to this tournament. Just seems fishy..." _Tanner thinks to himself.

"Alright, everybody, are you ready! It's time for the Fortune Cup's first turbo-duel!" Says the announcer.

The crowd cheers.

"He's the spunky punk trying to get from third to first class! He's the little Satellite who could! Dueling fans, I give you… Yusei!" The announcer says.

Yusei flies into the arena a few feet off the ground, out of a cloud of smoke. Yusei lands quite smoothly and races onto the track, sparking at the wheels to turn to the side and brake. Yusei looks up at the crowd, calm and serious, and can be seen on screen.

The crowd boos and jeers. "…He's no good!" "…Go back to the Satellite, loser!" "…You're outta your league, slacker!" "You go, Yusei!" Says Leo, cheering.

_"Let's see if you can even make it past your first duel!" _Jack thinks to himself.

"Dueling him is the always-mysterious, Shadow Creeper himself… Shira!" The announcer says.

Shira's launch pad has a few special effects and it looks like he comes flying right out of a localized piece of the Shadow Realm. Shira takes the second starting block.

"…Don't let us down, Shira! Show that punk he's not welcome here!" "…Yeah, put 'im in his place!" "I don't get it! Why're these jerks putting down Yusei, they don't even know him!" Says Leo.

Zigzix is ready with the D-Tector. "Okay. Let's see what you're made of, Satellite!" Zigzix says.

Yusei's royal blue eyes flick over to scrutinize the face of his opponent, mostly hidden by Shira's cloak.

"With both duelists at the starting line, there's just one thing left to do! Gents… start your runners!" Says the announcer.

"Duel mode engaged. Autopilot standing by." The computer says. The sky turns pink.

"This is the point of no return! Both duelists have activated their 'Speed World' field spell! Now the only spells they can use are speed spells!" Says the announcer.

Yusei is still looking at Shira, as he revs the motor, aggressively.

Jack leans forward, suddenly. "Huh...?!" Jack asks. Skylar can tell that there is something about Shira that seems way too familiar, as well. "Hm?" Asks Skylar.

As the computer voice speaks, both duelists' counters show 4000 lifepoints, as they tensely await the call to start. "Turbo-duelists, countdown initiated. Ready, set, duel." The computer says. And they're off, as soon as they are, Shira's robe goes flying through the air.

Yusei glances back, surprised.

The crowd gasps.

Hunter Pace laughs. "Ahahahahahaha! Surprise, surprise! Didn't expect to see me out here, didya?!" Asks Hunter.

"This is the mother of all surprises! That's not Shira! That's the former champion. The mad biker, the Phantom of Fire, it's-its Hunter Pace!" The announcer says.

"What happened to Shira?!" Asks Tanner.

Up in the tower. Lazar is approaching Goodwin. "I'm afraid we have a bit of a situation..." Lazar says.

Somewhere in the stadium hallways, the security guys have found a dazed character wearing nothing but his underwear. Cards are scattered everywhere, the guy and the floor around him are covered with crisscrossing tire tracks. "He just snuck up behind me..." Says Shira, in a wimpy voice.

"Areya gonna accept my challenge? Or ya gonna back down in front of all these excited people? Hahahahaha! So whaddaya think, Yusei? Ya game to duel Hunter Pace? Trust me, you didn't wanna duel Shira. That guy's a real bore."

Yusei has a small grin. "Let's do this!" Yusei says. He races ahead.

"All right then!" Says Hunter.

"Uh… I'm not sure if this is, uh… I, well, uh…" The announcer says. Goodwin appears on a small monitor. "If you're waiting for my approval, well, then…" Says Goodwin, via-monitor. He nods. "Hmm." Goodwin says, via-monitor. "Huh-ha! Goodwin has green-lit Hunter's challenge! We are a go! The duel is on!" Says the announcer.

The crowd cheers.

The video screens around the stadium show a countdown: 3, 2, 1!

"First move's mine! I draw! And from my hand I summon Burnin' Skull Head, in attack mode!" Hunter says. Burning Skull Head has 1000 attack points. "Then I end my turn by placin' three cards face down!" Says Hunter.

"I'm up, then." Yusei says. He draws and plays his draw. "And I summon Speed Warrior in attack mode!" Says Yusei. Speed Warrior has 900 attack points, 400 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is a wind type monster.

"Looks like Yusei's not gonna waste any time getting on the offensive! Speed Warrior's attack points double during its summoning phase, so I'd bet my pompadour that we're about to see an attack!" The announcer says.

"Speed Warrior! Strike 'im with Hyper-Sonic Slash!" Says Yusei.

"Sorry, but my 'Zero Guard' trap card's puttin' the brakes on your Speed Warrior. See, by takin' away all my Burnin' Skull Head's attack points, I can make it invulnerable to attacks, so you can't destroy it in battle!" Hunter says. His lifepoints are 2200 and he swerves a bit.

"Wow! Talk about a turn of events! He saved his monster, but Hunter's been slammed with eighteen hundred points of damage!" Says the announcer.

"Why would he willingly take such a big hit?" Yanagi asks. "He must have some sort of reason for wanting that monster around..." Says Dexter. "After taking that much damage at once, his speed counters should drop, right? So uh, how come they haven't gone down?" Leo asks.

"I give you the 'Doom Accelerator' trap! Thanks to this puppy, I'll be gainin' one speed counter for every five hundred points of damage I take in battle. Startin' right now!" Says Hunter. His counters rise to 4.

"Uh!" Yusei says.

"…Wow, what a move!" "…Unbelievable!"

"Aw yeyah! That's your first taste of a new speed acceleration deck, custom-engineered by yours truly!" Says Hunter.

"…Hey Hunter… I never stopped being your fan!"

"Not a bad play, Hunter. But it'll take more than that to shake me. For now, I place two cards face down and end my turn." Yusei says.

"My turn then. I draw! I'm crankin' this duel up a notch, with the 'Summon Speeder' spell! Since I have four speed counters, I can use 'Summon Speeder' to bust out a new monster! So say hello to Skull Vase! Next, by kickin' Skull Vase and Burnin' Skull Head to the curb, I can advance-summon Skull Flame! Sorry, kid, but I'm here to duel Jack Atlas again and regain my title! And well, Yusei, you're blockin' my way! So you gotta fall. Skull Flame! Burn up 'is lifepoints!" Says Hunter.

"Huuugh!" Yusei's lifepoints 2300 and his speed counters 1.

Hunter's speed counters 5.

"Yusei may've kick-started this duel with a powerful attack, but the former turbo-champion has just unleashed a blistering combo, and instantly almost evened up the score!" The announcer says.

Crowd. "…Man, Hunter's on fire!"

"Hmhm. And I'm just gettin' warmed up! Prepare for the real heat as I activate the 'Speed Booster' trap card!" Says Hunter.

'Speed Booster' allows you to deal damage equal to the difference between you and your opponent's speed counters multiplied by one hundred.

"Man, this guy's quick!" Leo says.

'Speed Booster' takes the place of a big fiery jet engine on the back of Hunter's runner, turning his speed into Yusei's damage. "Aaagh!"

"Welcome to the real world a' turbo-duelin', kid! If you can't keep up, you're gonna get left behind! Hahahahahaha! I came here to burn rubber and take names, Yusei. And no one is goin' to stop me from winnin' the chance to reclaim my title. See, when I was the number-one-ranked turbo-duelist in the world, I learned to defend my title by repeatedly deflecting attacks from all directions, just like my monster. But I also learned that to stay at the top, you gotta dish out damage hard and fast. So get ready ta feel the heat!" Says Hunter.

"Talks a lot, doesn't he?" Yanagi asks. "Unfortunately, he's able to put his money where his mouth is in this case. 'Cause he's earned a big advantage." Says Tanner. "Did Yusei just crack a smile?" Leo asks. "I didn't see that! Is he smiling? Did you see 'im smile? Why would Yusei smile?" Asks Yanagi. Tanner grins. "Why're you smiling?" Yanagi asks.

"And now, to turn up the heat, Satellite. I initiate 'Speed Booster's' special attack!" Says Hunter.

Yusei's lifepoints go down to 1900.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a whole new Hunter Pace we're seeing! He's totally reinvented himself!" The announcer says.

"I'm on the fast-track to glory! No one can stop me! Don't blink, or you'll miss me!" Says Hunter. He draws. "I'm bringin' a whole new intensity to turbo-duelin'! I'm gonna leave the entire world in my dust! I'm gonna… huh?" Hunter asks. He realizes that Yusei is no longer far behind, but neck and neck with him.

Yusei draws. "You're gonna what?" Asks Yusei.

"How're you keepin' up with me?! Huh?! 'Slip Stream'?! Aw man, you gotta be kiddin' me!" Hunter says.

"Is that why he was smiling?" Asks Yanagi. "Sure is. And with this card in play, Yusei might be smiling all the way to the finish line. You see, Yanagi. Since Hunter played a speed spell last round, and Yusei had fewer speed counters than him. Yusei's counters now catch up to where Hunter's are." Tanner says. "Yusei rules!" Says Leo, cheering. "Let's just hope he makes use of this position." Dexter says.

"You must think yer slicker than slick, don'tcha?" Asks Hunter.

Flashback. "I draw! I'm crankin' this duel up a notch, with the 'Summon Speeder' spell!" Hunter says.

"Not so fast… I play 'Slip Stream'!" Says Yusei. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Know I heard some people sayin' you were good, Yusei. But I'm afraid yer just not good enough to keep up with me! I activate 'Acceleration Zone'! Just try t'catch me now! Yeeeeeeaaaaaah! Hahahahaha!" Hunter says. The track ahead of him starts to sparkle and he zooms ahead, glowing with blue light. Hunter swerves sideways onto the bowl and flies halfway around the track.

On Yusei's runner console the counters go shooting up, his current speed on the screen is 220 km/h and fluctuating.

"Incredible! Hunter's speed counter has rocketed all the way to eleven!" Says the announcer.

Yusei growls under his breath.

"Whoooooooo-hooooooo! You may think you outsmarted me by slippin' in your 'Slip Stream' last round, but my deck is so fast that no matter what card you play or move you make, you'll always be a step behind! But that's somethin' you Satellites have to come to expect, isn't it?" Hunter asks.

"Well I wonder if you expected me to play this, the 'Summon Speeder' spell card!" Says Yusei.

"Whoa! Yusei met Hunter Pace's challenge with a direct counter!" The announcer says.

"Huh!" Says Hunter.

"Now with the power of 'Summon Speeder', I summon Quillbolt Hedgehog in defense mode, and Junk Synchron in attack mode! And thanks to my Junk Synchron's special ability, I can summon another monster from my graveyard! So I'm bringing back, Speed Warrior! And now I tune my Junk Synchron with my Speed Warrior, to synchro-summon Junk Warrior!" Yusei says. Junk Synchron turns into stars and swirls around, while Speed Warrior leaps into the air after them, rising through the three green rings, transforming into golden outlines. A huge beam of light bursts forth. "Let's rev it up!" Says Yusei.

"All right!" Yusei's friends cheer. "I guess you could say he's keeping pace with Hunter!" Yanagi says.

"But before I attack, since the Quillbolt on my field is a level-two, Junk Warrior can absorb its attack points! It's go-time!" Says Yusei.

"Heh! Forget my 'Speed Booster' trap already?" Hunter asks. Skull Flame turns around and blocks Junk Warrior's attack.

"Oh dear...!" Says Yanagi. "How did he stop Junk Warrior's attack like that?" Leo asks. "Remember, with that 'Speed Booster' trap card, Hunter can block the same number of attacks as their difference in speed counters!" Says Tanner. "Oh right, so... since Hunter's at eleven, and Yusei's at six, then..." Leo says. He counts it on his fingers. "Hunter's able to deflect five of Yusei's attacks?!" Asks Leo.

"I've gotta find a way to push through this! I place one card face down and end my turn!" Yusei says.

"Yeah… that's what I thought! I draw!" Says Hunter.

"Hunter is totally maxed out! It doesn't get any faster than twelve speed counters, people!" The announcer says.

"After Jack took my title and I failed to snatch it back, I went into hiding to undergo some serious retraining. And I realized that if I was gonna again rule the turbo-duels, I had to put speed first!" Says Hunter.

Flashback. A big puff of dust rises from the canopy of the forest, as though from an explosion. Below, Hunter was racing through a forest at top speed, dodging trees. "You're as good as done in a turbo-duel if you can't fearlessly harness the awesome power of true speed!" Hunter says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Hunter is talking faster and faster as he and Yusei blaze around the side of the track. "It's not what'cha do, it's how fast ya do it! Which I will now demonstrate by activating the 'Accelerate Draw' speed spell! This lets me draw two more cards from m'deck!" Says Hunter. The two cards are a high-level effect monster and 'Speed Spell-The End of the Storm'. "Heh-hah! Oh, yeah! It's in my hand… the 'End of Storm' spell card!" Hunter says.

Jack is thunderstruck. "What?!" Asks Jack, yelling.

"He has the spell card 'End of Storm'?!" Yusei asks.

"Shoulda stayed indoors today, Yusei! Yer local forecast calls for some hardcore schoolin' and a whole lotta letdown, with a slight chance of annihilation! But it's too late forya now! I activate 'End a' Storm'!" Says Hunter. Strong winds start blowing. "From what I understand, you an' Jack Atlas have some hist'ry, so I'm sure ya know what this means. The storm destroys every monster on the field, and then we both take three hundred points a' damage for every monster we had!" Hunter says.

Yusei takes a hit, he's down to 1300 lifepoints.

"Wow! Hunter Pace has managed to nail Yusei for six hundred points of damage! But in doing so, he had to obliterate his own monster… he can't attack now! What's he gonna do?" Asks the announcer.

"Hah! Now that the storm has blown over, I remove one Skull Flame in my grave from play. By doin' so, I can summon the incredible Supersonic Skull Flame to the field in attack mode… three thousand attack points in all!" Hunter says. Supersonic Skull Flame has 3000 attack points, 2300 defense points, is a level 10 monster and is a wind type monster.

"Oh no!" Says Yusei.

"Three thousand attack points?!" Tanner asks.

"Not only did Hunter destroy every monster on the field and deal damage to Yusei, but he's managed to summon an incredibly powerful new monster! What a stupendous string of moves! This could be the end of the duel right here! Hunter Pace may be moving on in the tournament… and Jack Atlas may be getting a little scared right about now!" Says the announcer.

Jack is not happy about this at all.

"This duel is over, Yusei! 'Cause Supersonic Skull Flame is gonna attack you directly!" Hunter says.

"Well my 'Scrap-Iron Scarecrow' should extinguish its attack!" Says Yusei.

"Yusei has shielded himself from Hunter's Skull Flame!" The announcer says.

"Let's see whatcha do when I activate 'Speed Booster'!" Says Hunter.

Several missiles shoot out of the back of his runner and zero in on Yusei, his lifepoints get knocked down to 800.

"Ah! Oh no!" Dexter says. "Stay strong, Yusei!" Says Leo.

"And now I activate Supersonic Skull Flame's special ability! So for every Burnin' Skull Head in my graveyard, you take four hundred points a' damage!" Hunter says.

"Ugh!" Says Yusei. He has 400 lifepoints left.

Leo, Dexter and Tanner's faces are lit by the explosion.

"Yusei is barely holding on, with a measly four hundred lifepoints! Can he survive?" The announcer asks.

_"Come on, Yusei. Show me your Mark of the Dragon!" _Goodwin thinks to himself. "If we confirm that Yusei's a Signer, shall I have him brought to you, Director?" Asks Lazar.

Jack and Skylar are listening._ "Come on, Yusei. You can beat this numbskull. I know you can. However, maybe you just need a little assistants." _Skylar thinks to herself. She then closes her eyes, bringing her hands together to communicate with the very thing that resides within her soul. _"Crimson Dragon, Yusei needs a little assistants. Please, go forth and lend him a little of your power. However, please be secretive and sly. Goodwin is watching very closely." _Skylar thinks to herself, communicating with the Crimson Dragon through her mind.

"It's my turn! First I'm gonna slow this duel down a little bit, with 'Shift Down'!" Yusei says.

"In a questionable move, Yusei has intentionally decreased his speed counters! What could he be thinking?!" Asks the announcer.

Yusei's counters drop to 2.

"Maybe he isn't thinking!" Yanagi says. "He must be banking on his deck right now!" Says Tanner. "Banking on his deck?" Dexter asks. "That's right. 'Shift Down' may forcibly lower your speed counters by six, but the upside is it lets you draw two cards from the top of your deck." Says Tanner. "I get it, he's hoping he can bust out a game-changer!" Leo says. "Exactly! Our friend Yusei never stops believing in his cards." Says Tanner.

"Now that my speed is decreased, I can draw two more cards. And next, I summon Nitro Synchron!" Yusei says. Nitro Synchron has 300 attack points, 100 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is a fire type monster. "Now that I've got a tuner monster on my field, I can bring Quillbolt Hedgehog back from my graveyard! With that done, I'm activating the 'Give and Take' trap card!" Says Yusei.

The 'Give and Take' trap card summons a monster from your graveyard to your opponent's field. The level of that monster is then added to a monster on your field.

"So now I'm going to give your defense a little boost, and take advantage of the power that beast possesses!" Yusei says.

Junk Synchron appears in defense mode on Hunter's field. "Yer doin' what?!" Asks Hunter.

"You may've been at the top of the ranks back in the day, Hunter. But that's only 'cause you never faced beasts with abilities like these!" Yusei says.

"So with Quillbolt Hedgehog bumped up to level five, and Nitro Synchron already at level two, then he…" Says Dexter. "…Can synchro-summon a level seven monster!" Leo says.

"Now I tune my Nitro Synchron and my Quillbolt Hedgehog to synchro-summon, Nitro Warrior! Let's rev it up one more time!" Says Yusei. Nitro Warrior has 2800 attack points.

"Pretty cool monster, but I can deflect yer attack with 'Speed Booster'. So there was no point in summonin' that thing!" Hunter says.

"I wonder if Hunter knows that synchro-summoning Nitro Warrior has enabled Yusei to draw another card from the top of his deck." Says Tanner. "Is that why Yusei summoned it?" Leo asks. "You got it! He's trying to get to a certain card." Says Tanner.

"Check it out, Yusei. I'm so much faster I'm about to lap you! Hehehaha!" Hunter says.

_"I can do this. Only, I feel some sort of powerful energy surging through me." _Yusei thinks to himself. Looking straight ahead, he closes his eyes, pauses and draws, slicing the air.

Everyone is holding their breath. Beat.

Yusei smiles. "Just what I needed! I'm activating the 'Speed Spell-Gap Storm'!" Says Yusei.

"What is this?!" Hunter asks.

"I can only activate 'Gap Storm' when the difference in our speed counters is ten or more! That's why I slowed down. Now I can destroy every trap and spell card on the field!" Says Yusei.

"Oh no! So that means…" Hunter says.

"Say goodbye to your 'Speed Booster'!" Says Yusei.

"Wow, talk about a big-time risk actually paying off!" Leo says. "How ironic, he might manage to win a game of speed by slowing down!" Says Dexter.

"This ain't over!" Hunter says.

"It will be once Nitro's special ability kicks in, and because I activated a spell card on my own turn. My Nitro Warrior gets hooked up with a thousand attack points!" Says Yusei.

"Waaaaugh!"

"Nitro, attack with Dynamite Crunch!" Yusei says.

Big showdown between Skull King and Nitro. Nitro wins and Hunter's down to 1100 lifepoints. "I'm still ahead!" Says Hunter.

"Not for long! You see, Hunter. Even though you had the lead for most of the duel, your lifepoints are about to run out of gas! And it's all because of my Nitro Warrior's special ability!" Yusei says.

"Wait, so, my Junk Synchron's switched to attack mode?! But that means it can't protect me!" Says Hunter.

"Nitro, attack!" Yusei says.

"Aaaah!"

"Yusei is about to pull off a major come-from-behind victory!" Says the announcer.

Nitro hits Junk Synchron. "Can't we be friends?!" Hunter asks. Explosion, his lifepoints read 0. Hunter's runner skids and comes to a halt.

"It's over! There's just no love for the one-time champion these days. His dream goes up in smoke again!" Says the announcer.

"Yusei did it! I just knew he could do it!" Leo says. "That was incredible!" Says Yanagi.

Up in the tower. Jack doesn't look surprised and merely nods.

Hunter is lying on the track, coughing and laughing.

Yusei approaches him, also smiling, both of them enjoyed this duel. "Ahahahahahahah! Oh, yeah!" Hunter says. "That was a really great duel, Hunter." Says Yusei. "Don't think I'll take this loss sittin' down, Yusei. I prob'ly shoulda stood up before I said that. Man, I thought I had ya! Hahahahahahahah, ehehahahahahaha!" Hunter says. He keeps laughing and starts coughing again.

The Ener-D meter has not moved, Zigzix is scared. "Ohhh! Nothing!" Says Zigzix.

Tower. "Hunter was too weak to bring out Yusei's Sign." Goodwin says. "His next opponent should try breaking him instead of bending him! Ahahahahahahaha!" Says Lazar.

Jack stands up. Skylar has come out of her communication with the Crimson Dragon, her eyes are open and her arms are at her sides. _"Thank you, Crimson Dragon." _Skylar thinks to herself. "This tournament isn't just about winning the chance to duel me, is it? What's really goin' on here?! What d'you need Yusei to help you do anyway?!" Jack asks.

"All in due time, Jack. All in due time." Says Goodwin.

Jack growls under his breath. Jack then faces Skylar and she does the same. Their eyes meeting each others. Jack notices that in Skylar's eyes, she's almost out of it. Skylar suddenly collapses off of the armrest and into Jack's chest. Jack's reaction is well timed, catching Skylar in his arms. "Skylar, you okay?" Jack asks. Skylar looks up at him. "Just got a little light-headed is all. I shall be fine." Says Skylar. She then steps out of Jack's hold on her.

Closing tableau is Yusei in full color, his helmet under an arm, against a background of blue monochrome. Yusei looks up at a huge, sinister Goodwin in the sky behind the tower, determined.


	19. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18: Return To The Spirit World: Part 1_

"Professor! Hello! It's me, Lazar. I know you're in here. We need your help with the next duel." The room is entirely dark, the only light streaming from a vertically-shuttered window set high in the wall. "You ever think about redecorating? Maybe some, track lighting?" Lazar asks.

The professor, the competitor in the Chinese robe, steps out of the darkness and stops just on the other side of the illumination from the window. "The darkness helps, with my preparation. And as a faithful servant of Yliaster, I know the darkness can only be illuminated by the Dragon Star. How may I be of service?" Asks the professor. "I'm so glad that you asked. Director Goodwin needs your hypnotic powers to tap into the mind of a possible Signer. He thanks you for throwing your first duel to end up in the Losers' Bracket. But now he needs you to perform." Lazar says. "Whom shall I duel?" Asks the professor.

The picture of Hunter on the tournament bracket fades out.

Yusei is riding back off the track.

The crowd is cheering. "Yusei beat Hunter!" Yanagi says. "Yeah! Looks like he's movin' on to the Semi-Finals!" Says Tanner. "Oh man! I wish I could be down there and duel him!" Dexter says. "He's good, but Yusei learned his best moves from yours truly!" Says Leo. "Oh? And where were those moves when you lost in the first round?" Luna asks. Leo deflates, immediately, and then stands up, smugly. "Huh? Hmhmhm! Wait, I was playing as you, which means that you lost! As far as the millions of people watching, I didn't lose a thing!" Says Leo. He laughs and Luna pounds her fists on his back. "That's the last time you duel as me!" Luna says, yelling.

"We have a special announcement!" Says the announcer.

"Huh?" Both Leo and Luna ask.

"Yes! The rumors you heard are true! Listen up, first-round-losers, don't head for the exits just yet!" Says the announcer.

Hunter is listening, nonplussed.

"Rex Goodwin, our Master of Ceremonies, has set up a Losers' Bracket for the first round! That means if you lost, grab your deck, because you might get a second chance to duel again!" The announcer says. He is on the Sphere and four of the holographic screens, two on either side, show the four losers. Luna, Ransborg, Hunter and the professor.

"Okay! My Fortune Cup's not over yet!" Says Leo. "Um, technically..." Dexter says. "Save your 'technically' for the blogs, Dex!" Says Leo. "Ah, what Dex means is my name is up there." Luna says. "Ugh!" Says Leo, groaning.

Yusei, now off the track with his runner, turns and looks up at the tower. _"What're you up to, Goodwin? You're not the type who gives second chances, unless you're going to get something out of it!" _Yusei thinks to himself. He turns and walks away, his helmet under an arm.

Leo is humming to himself, as he takes a last look through his deck. "Now just you watch. I'm gonna win for certain this time, Luna! Hahaha! Um, I need your hair braids, though, okay?" Leo asks. "Ugh! Get your own!" Says Luna. "Come on, Luna!" Leo says. The lights go out, startling both of the twins. "Huh?" Asks Luna.

"Now! Take your seats! We're about to give two of these duelists another opportunity! First we drew two very lucky players, and I assure you it was random, okay? And first up is everyone's favorite green-haired girl! She's fast! She's feisty! And she has to be home before her bedtime! Give it up for the next generation of dueling superstars, ladies and gentlemen I present to you, Miss. Luna!" The announcer says.

Leo jumps up and cheers, but a follow spot hits Luna, who stayed in her chair, like a beam of light from above. "Huh?" Asks Luna.

No sooner has Yusei reached the backstage waiting room than he sees Luna onscreen, stuck in the beam of light. "Luna's dueling?" Yusei asks.

"I'm guessing they finally got the right kid for the match, huh? You know, by the end of the duel we had, I didn't think the boy was half-bad. I can't wait to see what his sister's got." Says Greiger.

Yusei watches him walk to a seat, silently.

Luna still hasn't moved. "I can't duel!" Luna says. "Can't duel? But Luna, it was your name on that invitation! You belong here!" Says Tanner. "But I'm her, she can't go out there and duel!" Leo says. "Leo, I'm afraid that the jig is up, young man. The crowd wants your sister!" Says Yanagi. The crowd starts chanting 'Luna! Luna!'. "I can't! You guys don't understand! Something strange happens to me whenever I duel..." Luna says. "Ugh, not again! Are you gonna start that stuff about duel spirits?! You're getting a little too old to play make-believe!" Says Leo. "It's not make-believe, and if the only way to prove it is by going out there…" Luna says. "Huh?!" Asks Leo. "…well then I guess I'll have to go out there and duel." Luna says. "Okay. But if you win, I get to be you for the next round!" Says Leo. "Wow, thanks for your support, Leo." Luna says, sarcastically. She picks up her little pink duel disk and stands up. The crowd cheers. Luna looks down at her feet and walks past Tanner and Yanagi to the aisle, worriedly.

"Good luck, Luna!" Says Yanagi. He turns to Leo. "Now Leo, what's this about your sister hearing duel spirits?" Yanagi asks. "Oh, it's nothing!" Says Leo. "You sure?" Yanagi asks. "Mmmhmm. She always does this. We'll be dueling and then she's all like this… 'I feel funny! Hear that? Its duel spirits!'" Says Leo, in an even squeakier voice. He then retains his own normal voice. "Psst, she's just afraid I'll beat her!" Leo says, whispering. "I've seen some weird stuff, and…" Says Tanner. "Oh, come on! If that were true, then, well, I dunno, but, Luna'd be a whole lot more important than she is!" Leo says.

Luna is walking to the arena in her beam of light, shoulders hunched and fearful.

Up in the tower. Jack and Skylar are watching. Skylar actually looks worried for once. Skylar's somehow feeling some sort of connection to Luna, almost feeling whatever she's feeling. Jack turns to Goodwin, sitting beside him on the couch. "So tell me why you think she's a Signer, Goodwin." Asks Jack. "Well. For starters, the D-Tector picked her out of the crowd." Goodwin says. A holoscreen appears, with Luna in her disguise, sitting with Dexter and Yanagi. "Trust me, she's a lot more important than anyone knows, even her own brother. Once she duels the professor, then we'll know without a doubt. Let's see if Zigzix is ready to monitor her." Says Goodwin. He snaps his fingers and a holoscreen appears, at the moment Zigzix just happens to be shaking his booty right at the camera. "Goin' fast, makes me feel a-live, my heart beats…" Zigzix says, singing, via-holoscreen. He turns his head. "…huh? Oh, Director! Zigzix reporting for duty, Sir!" Zigzix holds up the D-Tector. "Just look at this! If the needle exceeds this yellow section, then there's no doubt our little Luna is a Signer!" Says Zigzix, via-holoscreen. He starts spinning, with excitement, only seeing his torso, not his head. "More Signers mean more energy! More energy means more Ener- D!" Zigzix says, via-holoscreen. On 'D', he is suddenly nose-to-nose with the camera. "And then we'll have enough to…" Says Zigzix, via-holoscreen. Goodwin clicks it off. "He really needs to get out more." Goodwin says. He pulls up a holographic file. "Now, there's another reason that we've been studying this little girl. Eight years ago, she was admitted to a special hospital, saying that she could hear duel spirit voices." Says Goodwin. He sends the screen over to Jack's side of the couch, several more files and pictures pop up along with it. "So she has quite the imagination." Jack says. "It's a little more complicated than that." Says Goodwin. Jack skims slides 1 and 2, quickly. One shows a picture of Luna, as a young girl, smiling from a comfy hospital bed. Another shows Luna, as a young girl, sitting up in bed and Leo, as a young boy, standing beside her. From the look on young Luna's face, young Leo just gave her the teddy bear she's holding. "Jack, she was a dueling prodigy and beating our greatest professionals at the age of three!" Goodwin says. One of the pictures is of a young Luna, in a pink jacket and cream skirt, lying unconscious on the ground, as young Leo, in a blue jacket and black shorts, a blonde woman, in an orange sweater and white skirt and a man, in a black suit, are gathered around her. "Then one day, she collapsed during a duel and fell into a coma. No one knows why, not even the best doctors. In fact, there was only one person who believed she'd wake up again, and that was her twin brother, Leo." Says Goodwin. He brings up a holo-image of Leo, sitting between Yanagi and Dexter in the stands, then, slide 3 again, alongside the image of Luna smiling up at the camera from her hospital bed. "And then, for no apparent reason, she woke up healthy a month later." Goodwin says. "That's a great movie of the week, Goodwin, but who cares?" Asks Jack.

"You should care, Mr. Atlas. What got our attention was what she said when she woke up. She said that she wasn't asleep. She said she spent that entire month in the Duel Monsters Spirit World." Lazar says. "And I'm a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Come on now!" Says Jack. "Funny, but we have reason to believe she told the truth. For instance, she knew of the ancient Dragon Star legend. In fact, she knew some things that even we did not. Vital clues to unlocking the mystery of the People of the Stars. And more, like the incredible power of the ancient Crimson Dragon." Lazar says. "Hm." Says Jack. "Hm. But a few days after waking, her memory began to fade, like it was a dream. Now she remembers nothing of the Spirit World. Leaving us one choice, to make her duel and go back to that world. Only then will we learn if she is a Signer." Goodwin says. He taps the screen before him and it changes to a holo-image of Luna, hugging her little pink duel disk to her chest and he reaches out a hand, as though to clench her in his fist. "And with her help, we can unleash the Crimson Dragon so that we can save our troubled world." Says Goodwin.

A triple smoke cannon draws all eyes to the dueling stage, dramatically.

"Now entering the arena, the little duelist who could! The pint-sized prodigy! Luna!" The announcer says.

Luna puts on her duel disk and tries to smile at the crowd. _"Okay Luna, nothing to worry about. Just the biggest duel of your life on national television. Hm, I wonder if Yusei and Skylara are watching." _Luna thinks to herself. At that, she does manage to smile a bit.

Yusei is, his arms folded and frowning. Yusei doesn't trust this.

Skylar is, as well, her arms folded, but she seems more worried than Yusei does. Skylar doesn't like this one bit.

"And now, her opponent. The Dean of the Deck! The Brain of the Game! The professor!" Says the announcer.

A card on the sphere spins around to reveal an image of the professor, Luna is small standing beneath it.

"He's got a Ph. D in psychology, hypnology, and duel-ology! So Luna'd better look out!" The announcer says.

Luna, dismayed, looks from the Sphere to the cloud of smoke that announces her opponent's entrance to the arena.

It clears and there the professor stands, his benign smile slightly disturbing.

Both duelists are in follow spots from above.

The professor walks forward, calmly, his spot following him and bows at the waist. "Pleased to meet you, dear Luna." Says the professor.

"Um, hi." Luna says.

"I've heard many things about you. I'm sure this duel will be quite illuminating for the both of us, don't you think?" Asks the professor.

_"Doubt it." _Luna thinks to herself. She hears a coo. _"Huh?! Kuribon! Why don't you ever talk when Leo's around?" _Luna thinks to herself, communicating with Kuribon just like how Skylara does with the Crimson Dragon, through telepathy.

"Now! Let's get dueling!" The announcer says.

The stadium lights up, Luna activates her duel disk, the professor activates his.

"Remember only the winner advances! The loser is out for good!" Says the announcer.

"Let's duel!" Both Luna and the professor say. 4000 lifepoints each.

"Like the blooming lotus, you may go first." Says the professor.

Luna, putting on a tough front, seems unusually brisk when compared with her opponent. "Sure, fine. I draw! And I summon Sunny Pixie in defense mode!" Luna says. Sunny Pixie has 300 attack points, 400 defense points, is a level 1 monster and is a light monster. Sunny Pixie appears with a giggle, she is a cute, tiny humanoid fairy, small enough to sit on Luna's shoulder.

"Aww, a fairy. That's adorable!" Says Yanagi. "Keep it up, Luna!" Leo says.

"Your turn, professor." Says Luna.

The professor nods, wholeheartedly. "And I look forward to it. Thank you. I summon a unique monster known as Symmetry Rorschach." The professor says.

"Ah!" Says Luna.

Symmetry Rorschach is a shimmering curtain of a liquid substance hanging in midair in an inkblot shape. It is in attack mode. Symmetry Rorschach has 1200 attack points, 1200 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is a light monster.

_"That card won't let me focus!" _Luna thinks to herself.

"Luna, think of my Rorschach as if it were a puddle of rain, or a drop of ink in a lake. Look at it, and tell me what you see. Tell me if it reminds you of anything. Look into your fears, your dreams, even memories lost long ago. What do you see when you gaze into the abyss? A friend, perhaps? Your family? Or maybe a far-off place dimming like the candle of time." The professor says.

"I... I see..." Says Luna.

_"Yes, tell me, Luna! What do you see?" _The professor thinks to himself.

"I don't know..." Luna says.

"Look close... Close... Close. What do you see?" Asks the professor.

"It's a Crystal Skull I think!" Yanagi says. "A moth!" Says Dexter. "This professor's a few cards short of a duel deck! What's he doing to Luna?" Leo asks.

"Look close, Luna... Close." Says the professor.

"Uh..." Luna says.

"Look closely. What do you see, Luna?" Asks the professor.

"Um, I see..." Luna says. The figure changes before her eyes to resemble a blonde fairy in blue that looks like the brunette in red she has on the field. "Huh... a fairy? Huh?" Asks Luna. The fairy chirps and smiles at her, a bit too widely, so widely that its head flips inside out and is replaced with that of a monster. "Aah!" Luna says.

"What do you see?" Asks the professor.

"Aaaah!" The monster-headed fairy roars and the field is awash in purple light. Luna cringes and defends herself as though a strong wind is blowing. Luna's Pixie is destroyed. When it lets up, Luna looks back at the professor and his monster, warily.

"Ah. Like the caterpillar who secludes itself in darkness before becoming a butterfly, you must face your fears. You must face your memories and live through them again. Do not be scared." The professor says.

"But I'm afraid!" Says Luna.

"You must be brave enough to relive what happened many years ago. I know you have great power, dear Luna. I know that you hear the duel spirits. The others may not believe you, but I do. I'll help you return to that place, the Duel Monsters Spirit World. Yes, it was all real and not some figment of your imagination, Luna." The professor says.

"I'm... I'm starting to remember, Professor." Says Luna.

"I know you are. But for our next step you need to trust me, Luna. Can you do that? I need you to want to return to the Duel Spirit World. I need your promise, Luna." The professor says.

Luna's now completely in a trance. "I promise, Professor. Take me back." Says Luna.

"Very good, now follow my instructions. When Symmetry Rorschach dispatched of your fairy, its special ability continued. Would you kindly turn over the top card of your deck and reveal it." The professor says.

Luna is startled when a huge orange eye appears in the inkblot. Luna draws and starts to smile. "Kuribon." Says Luna.

"Thank you for identifying your monster. He will be most helpful for the next stage of our little experiment. Now I need you to think back to that scary time when you were in your coma. Try to remember." The professor says.

_"Oh..." _Luna thinks to herself. She turns to look up at Leo in the stands. "I tried before, but I can't. There's nothing I remember from it." Says Luna.

She sees visions of her parents silhouetted above herself and of young Leo, completely hysterical. "Luna! Luna! Wake up!" Young Leo says, yelling. The vision ends.

Back to the present. "Ah, I'm remembering..." Says Luna.

"Oh..." Leo says. "Leo? You look sick." Says Dexter. "I'm worried about Luna, Dex. What's he doing?" Leo asks.

"I place two cards face down. It's your turn. Don't be scared, Luna." Says the professor.

"I draw. And I summon out Kuribon." Luna says.

Kuribon is a level-one, light-attribute, fairy-type monster with three hundred attack points and two hundred defense points.

"That's perfect. I play my face down, it is known as 'Light to the Depths'. Like the Northern Star, this light illuminates the path inside of you. Now send the top five cards on your deck to the graveyard, then reveal the sixth card…" Says the professor.

A bright light begins to pulse on Luna's forehead, reflected in her eyes, she is being mesmerized again.

"…adding it to your hand. And you must play that card, as certain as the path of light itself, or suffer two thousand points of damage." The professor says.

Luna is gone, his voice sounds distant and echoing once more, hearing the throb of a heartbeat.

"Now then, why don't we begin. Listen to my voice as I count them off. And, one." Says the professor.

Luna draws.

"Perfect. Two. Three." The professor says.

A glimpse that this one was 'Swords of Revealing Light'.

"Four. Five." Says the professor.

Fairy King Truesdale.

"And six." The professor says.

The 'Light to the Depths' card shines with the same light seen on Luna's forehead.

"Wonderful, now show me. What's the card you're holding in your hand?" Asks the professor.

Luna draws it and shows 'Ancient Forest'.

"Ah. As I had hoped." The professor says.

Luna places it in her field spell zone.

"The field spell 'Ancient Forest'. You will use it. This forest is quite a special place. All monsters are switched to attack mode, and neither of us can summon or switch a monster to defense. Even if you were to attack, your monster would be destroyed once the battle was over. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Some say this forest resembles, someplace else." Says the professor.

Luna's eyes are now completely blank, hearing another throb of the heartbeat.

"Fighting forbidden? Secrets revealed? Why, it's just like the Spirit World! Take us there now!" The professor says.

A sunlit forest begins to appear in Luna's blank eyes.

"We have work to do!" Says the professor.

Luna opens her eyes in a beautiful forest, in a beam of sunlight streaming through the treetops. "Ah, where am I?" Luna asks.

Fairies flit between the trees, giggling merrily. One of them flies up and lights on Luna's cheek to examine her eyelashes, she starts to giggle, too.

Luna hears a familiar coo and turns to look at Kuribon, as the fairy flies away. Kuribon is bobbing in front of Luna. "Kuribon! Ah, what is this place? It looks so familiar, but I can't remember." Says Luna. _"I sense that this is a safe place, but something feels wrong!" _Luna thinks to herself.

On the field, Luna is staring at her duel disk, wanly, not seeing it at all.

_"Excellent. Luna has finally traveled to the Spirit World. Now I will truly test her Signer powers." _The professor thinks to himself. "Hmhmhmhm. My turn. And I'll be activating my face down 'Gestalt Trap'. And this particular trap card will equip on your little Kuribon." The professor says.

A heavy metal manacle grips Kuribon. _"_

_Let's see how Luna deals with this!" _The professor thinks to himself. "Not only are Kuribon's abilities canceled, but all his points, both attack and defense, go to zero, dear Luna!" Says the professor.

In Luna's vision of the forest, in which she stands alone with Kuribon. Kuribon suddenly coos, frantically, and is gripped by the same metal cuff he has on in the duel. "Ah! Kuribon, what just happened?!" Luna asks.

"The trees aren't deaf, but they are mute to your crying pleas. I equip 'Immortal Homeostasis' on Kuribon! Now he cannot be destroyed in battle." Says the professor.

Kuribon squirms and fights, but can't prevent it.

"But sadly his fate is worse, for now he serves as the architect of your loss. His original attack points have been altered, and until they can finally be restored, you suffer. Three hundred points a round, much like the ill-tempered dog who bites your hand whether you bring food or fowl. Next I sacrifice Symmetry Rorschach, and with that removed. I can summon Ido, the Supreme Magical Force." The professor says. Ido the Supreme Magical Force has 2200 attack points, 800 defense points, is a level 6 monster and is a dark type monster. A glimpse of the professor's hand, he reaches for Ido between 'Mental Pollution' and 'Pot of Avarice'. Ido's roar creates waves in the air.

Whenever the monster card Ido the Supreme Magical Force is destroyed, it is re-summoned to your field at the end of the turn.

"Ohh!" Says Luna. She is watching Kuribon be tormented and the little duel spirit is practically crying. Luna tries to comfort it. "Don't worry. Huh?" Luna asks.

Suddenly, the sun is blocked out by a huge shadow, Ido has appeared in the Spirit World. Luna screams.

Luna is still motionless. "Even though Ido will be destroyed if I attack with him, he still returns to my field at the end of every turn. Of course, with him summoned, though, no other monsters will be allowed on my field. A small price to pay." Says the professor.

Luna is motionless, not hearing a word, eyes blank.

The crowd is starting to worry. "…Wake up, Luna!" "…She's just standing there!" "Could this be it?! Is she too scared to duel?!"

Goodwin, watching, betrays a hint of a smile. Skylar sees it and starts to become very furious, but doesn't say anything and can't really do anything about it.

Dexter notices that Leo, also, isn't moving. "Huh?" Dexter asks. He pokes Leo, gently, his eyes are blank, too. "What's wrong?" Asks Dexter.

"Ido the Supreme Magical Force, attack Kuribon! And bring out Luna's Mark of the Dragon!" The professor says.

Kuribon struggles, frantically, can't move and gets stomped.

In the Spirit World. Kuribon dissolves into sparkles, then they re-form into him again, glowing bright pink. "No!" Says Luna, crying out

Luna's lifepoints drop from 4000 to 1800.

"Of course, with Kuribon still equipped with my little spell, he isn't destroyed, but survives. And next round he'll be destroyed and survive again, and again, until you give me what I need. Think, Luna. Think. Think about the Spirit World." The professor says.

One of the sharp points on Kuribon's cuff glints.

"Think about what was revealed to you. Think about the Crimson Dragon. Think! Think! Think!" Says the professor.

From the rustling trees in the Spirit World echoes a frightening voice, the professor's. "Think! Tell me about the Crimson Dragon!" "Mmm. No! This world's supposed to be a safe place, you can't harm me here!" Luna says, scared. The trees part and sunlight streams down on Ido, Kuribon and her. Ido is destroyed. Luna starts to get hopeful, until it reappears. "But, but how did that happen?!" Asks Luna.

"Did you forget already? Ido returns to my field whenever it's destroyed. Huhuhuhuh. It's your turn, Luna. And don't neglect all the progress we've made!" The professor says.

"I draw..." Says Luna.

"Remember, you lose three hundred points due to the effect of 'Immortal Homeostasis'. Perhaps this will jog your memory." The professor says.

More bright pink light. "Aa-aa-aaah!" Luna's lifepoints read 1500. "I summon my monster Sunlight Unicorn." Says Luna. Sunlight Unicorn has 1800 attack points, 1000 defense points and is a level 8 monster. Sunlight Unicorn gallops onto the field, around in the air, shining like the sun, its mane is dazzling, crackling with bright blue light. "And now I equip 'Horn of the Unicorn' on my Sunlight Unicorn." Luna says. Sunlight's horn shines and becomes made of pure crystal, its attack points rise to 2500.

_"How is she fighting back? Who's giving her strength?!" _The professor thinks to himself.

Luna stands, motionless.

Up in the stands. Leo is also in a trance.

In the Spirit World. A bright blue flash between Luna and Ido. Luna shields her eyes, frightened. "Aaaah!" Luna looks. "Huh? Oh, Sunlight Unicorn?" Asks Luna.

Suddenly, a beautiful voice seems to come from the forest itself. "Luna... Luna..."

"Ah! Who is it? Who's out there?" Luna asks.

"Luna. You have finally returned to fulfill your promise."

"What promise?" Asks Luna.

"To protect the realm of the Duel Spirits from the forces of evil."

"But, I'm just a little kid. What can I do?" Luna asks.

"You can come with me..."


	20. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19: Return To The Spirit World: Part 2_

The trees of the Spirit World's forest rustle, as though whispering to each other. A beautiful, almost motherly voice echoes in the sunlight, as Luna stands there with Sunlight Unicorn and Kuribon in a manacle. "Luna. Luna." Kuribon coos. "You've come back. I knew you would one day return to us, Luna. I knew you wouldn't forget the promise you made. You do remember, don't you?"

Luna takes a step back. "This is not happening." Luna says.

"You promised that you would protect all of us here in the Spirit World."

"I think you've got the wrong person! Who are you?! Huh?!" Asks Luna.

Ido the Supreme Magical Force reappears, a huge, scary glowing monster. "Not you again. Ohh..." Luna says. Sunlight attacks. "No! Sunlight Unicorn! Wait! Come back!" Says Luna. Sunlight strikes Ido and then lands on the ground, winded and defiant.

Ido shatters.

In the real world, the professor's eyes go wide, then he smiles. The professor's lifepoints drop to 3700. "I broke through!" The professor says.

In the Spirit World, the rustle of the trees seem suddenly ominous. "Who are you? What is going on?! Whoever you are, you are really freaking me out!" Says Luna. Sunlight shines on Sunlight Unicorn and it is destroyed.

"Ohh! Sunlight Unicorn! No, this isn't real. None of it is real. It's a dream." Luna says.

At the duel. Luna's lifepoints stand at 1500, she is still in a complete trance.

"Hahahahahahahaha, hahahahahahaha. Hear my voice, let it reach you. Right now your spirit is traveling through the Spirit World. Tell me everything. Tell me the secrets of that world you're in." Says the professor.

In the stands. "You've got to stay strong, Luna!" Yanagi says. "You can do it!" Says Tanner. "Go, Luna!" Dexter says. Leo is also in a trance, under their cheers, Luna's voice can be heard calling out to him. "Leo! I'm scared! Where are you?!" Asks Luna.

Backstage waiting room. _"What has that guy done to her? I gotta do something." _Yusei thinks to himself. He stands up and leaves.

Greiger looks up, as Yusei walks out.

Up in the tower. Skylar's feeling the same way of going out there. _"This is getting too serious and dangerous for Luna to be out there dueling this guy. She's in some sort of trance. I have to do something. I can't just sit here anymore while she suffers." _Skylar thinks to herself. She then stands up and tries to leave. "Where do you think your going?" Goodwin asks. Skylar closes her eyes for a minute, reopens them and turns to face him. "I'm sorry, Sir. However, I can't just sit here and watch this duel anymore. This is getting way too out of control, Goodwin. Luna is just an innocent little girl that you decided to invite to this 'tournament'. Just because you are the one who wants all the Signers together, doesn't mean you can endanger people's lives." Says Skylar. "I'm not endangering anyone's life, dear Skylar. I just want all the Signers together." Goodwin says. "I am having a hard time believing that. It doesn't matter what you say to try and stop me from leaving, because nothing you say is going to convince me otherwise." Says Skylar. She starts walking away. Before she's able to go very far, Goodwin grabs a hold of Skylar's arm, with enough strength to pull her close to his side. It's the same arm Skylar has the torn tendon in. It makes Skylar react a little bit, but not enough to show it hurts. Goodwin's light gray eyes look up at Skylar. "If you stay, I'll tell you what I know about you. If you leave, you'll never hear what I have to say." Goodwin says, whispering. "You know nothing about me." Says Skylar. "Oh, don't I. Don't you want to hear what you've wanted to know for eighteen years of your life." Goodwin says. "No, because it isn't worth it." Says Skylar. "I'll tell you what I know about your father. I used to work with him long ago." Goodwin says. "You don't even know who I am. So, how can you tell me about my father when you don't even know the real me." Says Skylar. She pulls her arm out of his hold. "You know nothing, Goodwin!" Skylar says. She walks away again.

Lazar then snaps his fingers.

Two guards come through the door, blocking Skylar's way.

"Guards, make sure she stays through the rest of this duel." Says Lazar.

Jack suddenly stands up, stepping between the guards and Skylar.

"Jack?" Goodwin asks.

"No, let 'er go. She has a point. Call off your guards, Goodwin." Says Jack.

"Very well, Jack." Goodwin says. He waves his hand.

The guards step aside to let Skylar through. Skylar finally gets to the door and then turns to face Jack. "Just go." Says Jack. Skylar then turns away and leaves, running out of there.

"Foolish girl." Lazar says.

"Shut up!" Says Jack. He throws a tea cup at Lazar's head.

Which ends up hitting him in the back of his head.

Back on the field. "Each time 'Horn of the Unicorn' is sent to the graveyard, it returns to the top of my deck. So I am now activating the spell card 'Emergency Assistance' from my hand. This allows me to summon one monster that you destroyed this turn." Luna says. Sunlight Unicorn gallops out of the spell, returning to the field. "I summon, Sunlight Unicorn." Says Luna.

"Well. I did not foresee this development!" The professor says. He grits his teeth and it looks like he's starting to get frustrated.

"If the card at the top of my deck is a spell card, then I can use Sunlight Unicorn's special ability to add the card to my hand." Says Luna.

"This is most frustrating!" The professor says.

"I equip my mystic steed with 'Horn of the Unicorn'. I place two cards face down, it is your turn." Says Luna.

In the Spirit World. "Huh?" Luna asks.

Sunlight Unicorn reappears. "Oh! Sunlight Unicorn! You're back! What happened to you earlier? Where'd you go? Huh?" Asks Luna.

Ido is back. "Um, pretty voice from earlier? Is this big scary shadow thing with you?" Luna asks.

"Luna, use your Sunlight Unicorn to escape!"

Luna climbs aboard Sunlight Unicorn, Kuribon in front of her. "Ah! Whoa!" Says Luna. She rides Sunlight out of the beautiful forest and into a part of the Spirit World that is dried up and dead. The color is a sickly lavender, for the stormy clouds that blanket the sky, Kuribon coos. "It's okay. Oh, what happened to all the trees? What's going on?" Luna asks.

"An evil force is attempting to cross the void and access the Spirit World. It yearns to corrupt and twist this place, to harness its power for malicious purposes."

"Malicious purposes? An evil force? That's scary." Says Luna. At a dry, dead riverbed, Sunlight Unicorn stops and she and Kuribon jump off, but what truly stopped them was the sight of what lies across the riverbed, a huge stone with a carving of a dragon in it. "Oh! Hello?" Luna asks. "I'm here, Luna. Sealed away in this granite prison. I have been waiting for your return." "I don't get it, what d'you want from me?! That dragon, hang on a sec! That dragon looks familiar!" Says Luna. She has a momentary vision of this dragon when it isn't sealed in stone, her skin is a blueish-teal, with webbed wings in bright pastels that recollect a butterfly's. She wears a golden mantle around her shoulders and torso, proudly. "It's you! It's, Ancient Fairy Dragon!" Luna says. "We meet again. It's time to fulfill your promise, or your brother's spirit may be lost here forever!" Says Ancient Fairy Dragon. Luna stands on a barren riverbank, but sees before her this place in all its former glory, the river is a beautiful blue and on the other side lies a lush green meadow. "Where's my brother?" Luna asks. "Lost between your world and ours. Now allow me to take you back to when you first came here." Says Ancient Fairy Dragon.

Luna gasps, as she sees across the river, herself when she was three, playing with Kuribon and several other cute little duel spirits, Key Mace, Tenderness, Watapon and Sunny Pixie. Above them all, Ancient Fairy Dragon sits and watches, protectively, an elegant multicolored alien dragon.

"To help you remember the promise you made that will save this world and your brother's spirit." Ancient Fairy Dragon says.

"Almost done! Ta-da! Here!" Says young Luna. She holds up a wreath she made out of flowers and puts it on Kuribon. Kuribon is absolutely stoked, bouncing all over the place. Young Luna looks around suddenly. "It just got really cold." Young Luna says. Just as the Duel Spirits are rejoicing, the flowers rot right off of poor Kuribon's head. "That's weird, the flowers. Oh. They wilted." Says young Luna. "The Spirit World is in danger, Luna. An evil force has been trying to gain access to this place. To take over. With sinister intent, this force reaches out to squeeze the heart of our beloved land. As this evil grows in strength, the light of the Spirit Word will begin to fade. And the beauty of this realm will be replaced by sorrow, and darkness." Ancient Fairy Dragon says. "Can't you stop it?" Asks young Luna. "No. But you can, Luna." Ancient Fairy Dragon says. "What can I do?" Asks young Luna. "You are a bridge that connects your world and ours. Stay with us, Luna. Protect us. In return, we can help you. We feel your sadness, my child. We know that you're lonely. You are lonely, aren't you?" Ancient Fairy Dragon asks. "Yeah, kinda. Mom and dad are always away, on important business trips and stuff like that, and I don't go to school with other kids. And my silly egghead brother only thinks about himself. Okay, Ancient Fairy Dragon, I will stay here and protect you! I'll protect everyone!" Says young Luna. "Thank you, Luna! And I will make sure you never feel lonely again. But at some point, you must meet with Cynder the Black Dragon. Like me, she is also a guardian. She is the Guardian of the Underworld, as I am guardian of this realm, the Spirit World." Ancient Fairy Dragon says. "Huh? Aaah! Why? Can she speak like you can?" Asks young Luna. "Yes, Cynder can speak, but she can only speak to one person. The duelist whom she chose. She doesn't speak the same way I do. I speak through the mind, but Cynder can communicate by physically speaking, like how normal people do. Good luck, Luna." Ancient Fairy Dragon says. She flies over and covers Luna and her Duel Spirits with her wings, like a bird protecting its young. Ancient Fairy Dragon starts to glow gold, young Luna is amazed. Perhaps this is how Luna gained the ability to hear Duel Spirits.

"I remember now. I came here several years ago. And I made a promise. I said that I'd protect you. But then..." Says Luna.

At the duel. Yusei runs onto the field. "Luna. Luna! She can't hear me..." Yusei says, calling out to her. He looks over at the professor, who is also completely gone. "_This is weird. It's like they're both hypnotized or something. What is going on? Her eyes look so distant..." _Yusei thinks to himself.

He then hears footsteps behind himself and turns to face Skylar. "Skylara, what're you doin' down here? Aren't you supposed to be guarding Jack?" Asks Yusei.

Skylar stops running and catches her breath. "Jack has plenty of guards. Goodwin was just keeping me up there so I wouldn't get in the way of the tournament." Skylar says. "Luna can't hear me." Says Yusei. "I wouldn't think so. She's in the Spirit World, or her spirit is, at the least. However, if her spirit doesn't return to her body by a certain time, she won't be coming back at all." Skylar says. "Do you know what's wrong with her?" Asks Yusei. "She is in a trance, that is as much as I know. And the professor seems to have gotten himself in the same trance." Skylar says. "Can you get to 'er? You said you had Signer powers of your own, can you use them to get her free or guide her spirit back?" Asks Yusei. "That is only Luna's ability to communicate with Duel Spirits and enter the Spirit World." Skylar says. "Can you at least try to get through to her?" Asks Yusei. "I can. However, I don't know what good it will do." Skylar says.

Up in the stands. "Luna! Luna!" Says Leo, calling out, silently. Luna answers and as if on cue, he faints completely into Dexter's lap. "Leo!" Luna says, silently.

"Hey, what's wrong? Can ya hear me, pal?" Asks Dexter. "Leo, this is no time for a nap!" Yanagi says. Tanner slaps Leo's cheek with the back of his hand, gently. "He's out. Did he just faint?" Asks Tanner. "I don't know!" Dexter says. "Let's take him to the first aid station." Says Yanagi.

_"Luna..." _Leo thinks to himself.

In the Spirit World, Luna hears his voice. "Luna..." Leo says. "Back then, I heard Leo's voice calling to me and..." Says Luna.

Young Luna hears young Leo. "Luna! Luna!" Young Leo says, crying and yelling for her. "Leo!" Says young Luna.

Luna looks as though she suddenly feels faint and falls to one knee. "Oh... I heard him shouting my name... and then I, I just started running as fast as I could! I said that... my brother was calling out for me... but I think I had been calling out to him somehow! I was scared...! I was afraid I wouldn't be able to protect you by myself! So I just ran. After that, I tried so hard to forget about you. I blocked you all out, and then I..." Luna says.

She hears a roar behind herself, Ido has caught up to her. "Ohh!" Says Luna, scared.

On the field, Luna is still completely out of it. "Luna!" Skylar says. _"It's gotta be this professor creep. He's doing something to her! But what? Hm?" _Yusei thinks to himself. He looks at Luna again and this time he can see a red claw-shaped Mark glowing through her right sleeve. Yusei then puts a hand on Skylar's shoulder. "No way! She has a Mark like us!" Says Yusei. Skylar turns herself to face him, showing him that new markings have appeared on her arms, glowing through her sleeves and gloves. "Well, I guess that would explain why my arms have been hurting." Skylara says. Yusei seems shocked. "What's happening to you?" Asks Yusei. Skylar is rubbing at her arms, trying to make the pain cease. "I am still trying to figure this all out myself. However, it seems any time a new Signer has been revealed and their Marks finally solidify, new markings tend to appear on my body. Only, they don't stick around until the Signer's own Mark solidifies." Skylar says.

The red mark on Luna's arm is reflected in the professor's blank eyes.

Goodwin is watching from the tower, Zigzix is on a holoscreen. "Yyy… excellent news! Look here, the D-Tector detected a signal! Miss. Luna is a Signer!" Says Zigzix, via-holoscreen.

In the Spirit World, Luna stands in the shadow of Ido. "Ohh, go away! Oh..." Luna says, terrified.

Yanagi, Dexter and Tanner are rushing Leo to the first aid station on a gurney, along with a paramedic. "Leo!" Says Dexter. "He'll be okay. I hope." Yanagi says. "Leo! Come on, wake up!" Says Tanner.

On the field. _"Okay. Wherever those two are, they're not here. Their bodies might be, but their spirits..." _Yusei thinks to himself. At that moment, Skylar tries to place a hand on Luna's shoulder, but something ends up hurting her hand. Skylar grips at her hand, wincing lightly. "What happened?" Yusei asks. "Something burned my hand." Says Skylar. "Here, let me see." Yusei says. He takes a hold of Skylar's hand, gently, places one hand on the top of hers and turns it over to see the palm of her hand. Skylar's glove has a hole burned through it and it soon reforms, becoming whole again. "Someone doesn't want you to interfere." Says Yusei.

"It is my turn." The professor says, sleep-talking.

In the Spirit World, his voice seems to be coming from his monster, Ido. "I draw." Says the professor. Kuribon cowers behind Luna. "Wh-what?" Luna asks.

In Ido's place, the professor appears, chuckling. "I cannot believe that I've actually crossed over! I have left my body behind. I have entered the Spirit World!" Says the professor, now far less calm.

"What do you want?" Luna asks.

"You are much more important than you know, my dear. Now be a good girl, use your Signer power, and reveal to me the secrets of this wonderful realm! Lend me your power." Says the professor. From his feet, darkness begins to fester and spread.

"Okay, um. I have no idea what you want from me, but you need to leave. You are not allowed to be here!" Luna says. The darkness crawls up a dead tree behind her and turns it to dust, she notices when Kuribon reacts. "Huh?" Asks Luna.

More trees around the professor crumble. "Heheheheheheh!" The professor laughs.

"Leave this world alone! Oh, ohhh, I can't do this. I can't protect the Spirit World. I'm scared, and I wanna go home now! But then, if I leave, Ancient Fairy Dragon said Leo could be lost here forever! Leo!" Luna says.

In the first aid station. "Snap out of it! Wake up!" Says Dexter. "Come on, say somethin', little guy." Tanner says. "Luh… Luna...!" Says Leo, muttering in his sleep.

In the Spirit World, Luna hears his voice. "Luna, I hear you." Leo says.

"Leo! Where are you?! Come on, get me outta here! Please Leo! I'm scared! Stop messing around!" Says Luna.

"Luna... Luna..." Leo says.

"Do something, Leo! Hurry!" Says Luna. Beneath her feet, in the dry riverbed, a small stream of water burbles out of the ground. Luna cries out and steps back. The little geyser forms a puddle. "Luna, down here." Leo says. "Huh? Leo, is that you?" Asks Luna. She looks into the puddle and sees only her own reflection, then that reflection turns into Leo, his eyes blank. "It's me. I'm here." Leo says. "So come on! Get me outta this place quick!" Says Luna. "I can't bring you back. But I saw your promise to the spirits." Leo says. "I was three!" Says Luna. "I know, but you're connected to these spirits now." Leo says.

In the first aid station, Leo continues to talk in his sleep. "Luna..." Says Leo.

In the Spirit World, Leo in the puddle. "Don't worry, know that I am by your side. I'll protect you so that you can protect them!" Leo says. "Leo! Huh?" Asks Luna. She looks around. "Leo!" Luna says. Leo's gone.

There's a rumbling in the distance. The sickly lavender sky is now swirling over with menacing storm clouds flashing with lightning. A bolt of it smashes off a chunk of the rock that imprisons Ancient Fairy Dragon and the massive boulder just misses Luna, who barely notices, still looking for Leo. "We are under attack, Luna! Now is the time you must defend us!" Says Ancient Fairy Dragon. "I don't know if I can!" Luna says.

On the field, Luna is still completely spaced out. Luna suddenly blinks and her eyes go back to normal. "Her eyes are normal again!" Says Yusei.

The professor tries to smack Luna for disobeying him, but someone stops that incoming hand. Skylar's gloved hand is wrapped around the professor's wrist, pulling it back behind him. The professor then looks back at Skylar, with the same blank eyes. "I don't think so!" Skylar says. The professor tries to throw a quick punch at her, but she easily throws him back to his side of the field.

Skylar is now standing in the professor's way of getting to Luna, sort of being her human shield almost.

The professor suddenly uses a powerful blast and it hits Skylar in the chest, directly where her heart resides. Skylar clutches at her chest, wincing in pain.

Skylar suddenly gets blasted near her side, as well, which immediately causes her to collapse.

"Skylara!" Says Yusei. He runs over to Skylar, kneels down next to her and lifts her up. "Skylara, are you okay?" Yusei asks. He then glares over at the professor, but doesn't want to leave Skylar in this situation.

In the Spirit World. Luna stands up, turns and speaks to the rock. "I won't let you down, Ancient Fairy Dragon. I will fight to protect the Spirit World, and save my brother's spirit!" Says Luna.

"Heheheheheheheh!"

"Huh?" Luna asks.

The professor stands opposite of her over a length of land, seeing for the first time in the Spirit World that his lifepoints read 3700. The professor is completely mad with power.

Luna holds her arm out flat and her duel disk appears on it. Luna's lifepoints read 1500, she has two face downs, 'Horn of the Unicorn' in play and Kuribon with 0 attack points and Sunlight Unicorn with 2500 attack points on her field, the former still ensnared by the professor's 'Immortal Homeostasis' and 'Gestalt Traps'.

On his field, the professor has 'Immortal Homeostasis' in play and Ido is his monster with 2200 attack points.

"I reveal my face down card! It's the spell 'Pixie Ring'! There's two monsters on my field and they're both in attack mode. So I can use the power of my 'Pixie Ring' to form a protective barrier around the weaker one! You can't attack Kuribon now, he's safe! I promised to protect the spirits, and that's what I'm gonna do!" Says Luna.

"How sweet, but can you protect yourself from the 'Wave of Ill Intent'? Eheheheheheheh! Should you manage to destroy a monster of mine, then, I am afraid, the 'Wave of Ill Intent' will crash into you for three hundred points of damage!" The professor says.

"Ohh..." Says Luna.

"And now, Ido attacks your Sunlight Unicorn!" The professor says. It attacks, gets destroyed and hits him for 300 lifepoints. The professor's lifepoints are 3400. "That attack doesn't matter! For sometimes you must be willing to make sacrifices in order to achieve victory! Now I activate my 'Wave of Ill Intent'!" Says the professor.

'Wave of Ill Intent' is a spell card that inflicts three hundred points of damage to your opponent for each monster that is destroyed in battle.

"Huh? Aa-aa-aa-aa-aaah!" Luna's lifepoints are 1200. "That wasn't that bad." Luna says.

"Well unfortunately it's about to get a lot worse! Because you destroyed a monster of mine, I can use the effect of my 'Prized Spirit Contamination' spell! The corrosive power of this spell is capable of destroying one spell or trap card on your field!" Says the professor.

"Aaaah!" _"The 'Pixie Ring' is gone! Sorry, Kuribon!" _Luna then thinks to herself.

"And now during the end phase, my Ido resurrects again. I end my turn! Huh." The professor says, sounding menacing, crazy and evil.

"Ah! My move, then, and I draw!" Says Luna.

"Heheheheheh! Since Kuribon's attack points have changed, you'll suffer the effect of 'Immortal Homeostasis'." The professor says. He growls under his breath. "Nyaaaaah! You must now endure three hundred points of direct damage!" Says the professor.

Kuribon coos, Luna screams and her lifepoints are down to 900._ "It's like everything I try to do ends up hurting me! But I can't give up!" _Luna thinks to herself.

"Heheheheheheh..."

"I place one card face down! With that done, I activate 'Healing Wind' from my hand. Which means for every single monster on the field including yours, I regain two hundred lifepoints! I end my turn!" Luna says. Her lifepoints rise to 1500.

"Goodwin's a fool for thinking that I would share the power of the Spirit World with him and the rest of his Yliaster servants! I've devoted my entire life to finding a way to connect to this world! Now that I'm finally standing here, I intend to steal its power for myself! The Spirit World is going to be mine! It will crumble before me! Aaahahahahahahahahah!" Says the professor. The dark power around his feet oozes up a nearby cliff, bringing it and every tree on it, crashing down.

"Ah! Oh no! The Spirit World is collapsing!" Luna says. She's starting to cower. "I can't let it, I can't!" Says Luna.

"It's too late to save this world or your Kuribon! Ido the Supreme Magical Force, attack!" The professor says.

"Stop! I play 'Fairy Wind'!" Says Luna.

'Fairy Wind' destroys all the magic and trap cards on the field and deals four hundred points of direct damage to each player for every card destroyed.

"Listen up, Professor! I'm not gonna let you do any more damage to the Spirit World! Your evil and destructive ways will end, now!" Luna says.

"What?!" Asks the professor.

Kuribon is freed, Sunlight Unicorn is de-horned...

...And 'Ancient Forest' disappears back in the real world. "Huh?" Yusei asks. Skylar is now leaning on him, one arm over his shoulder.

Back in the Spirit World. "Rrrgh!"

"I gave my word to protect this world, and that means I'm going to have to take out your precious lifepoints. Even if it means risking my own at the same time!" Says Luna. Her lifepoints 300.

The professor's lifepoints 2200.

"And since your equip spell is gone now, Kuribon's attack points return to three hundred. You won't win this duel!" Luna says.

"And you will not stop me from achieving my destiny! Attack now, Ido!" Says the professor.

"Kuribon's special ability activates! When Kuribon is attacked, he can return to my hand in order to avoid damage! You can't touch 'im! And even though you regain lifepoints, at least I was able to keep my Kuribon safe! I promised to protect him, I promised to protect the entire Spirit World, and I'm going to keep that promise!" Luna says.

"Heheheheheheheheh! No! My power will break you and your promise!" Says the professor.

Ancient Fairy Dragon's rock is starting to crumble.

The professor's cackling gets even more lunatic. "There is nothing you can do to save this world! I will destroy it, and rebuild it under my rule! Hahah, ahahahahahahaha!" The professor says.

As Ancient Fairy Dragon's rock crumbles away, the shape of her emerges halfway, still stone and roars its fury, screeching painfully through a voice turned to stone.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon! Man, she seems like she's really mad! Oh no! What is she doing?!" Asks Luna.

Ancient Fairy Dragon reaches over and grabs the professor in a claw, as he keeps cackling, crazily, and lifts him into the air.

Luna runs after them. "She's going to crush him! Don't do it, then you're no better than he is! Put 'im down, okay?!" Luna asks.

Ancient Fairy Dragon roars in the professor's face, he doesn't even stop cackling.

"Maybe if I can just end this duel! I activate, 'Oberon's Prank'! This spell reverses 'Fairy Wind's' effect! Instead of restoring our lifepoints, it damages us for the same amount!" Says Luna. The lightning crashes blue above and a mighty whirlwind descends from the heavens.

Both duelists are blown away, as their lifepoints sink to zero.

As she flies away, Luna hears Ancient Fairy Dragon one last time. "The evil is gone. But now you must stop the person who sealed me away." Ancient Fairy Dragon says.

At the duel, the professor stumbles backward and falls, seemingly unable to close his eyes.

Luna sways on her feet, groggily, returning to full consciousness and looks across the field at the professor. _"Is he okay?" _Luna thinks to herself.

The professor starts getting back to his feet.

_"He is! That's good, I guess..." _Luna thinks to herself. She suddenly faints, spent, and is caught by Yusei and Skylar.

The professor gets to his feet and merely stands there, half alive.

The crowd mutters, in confusion.

Yusei is carrying Luna off the field in his arms, with Skylar walking next to him. Luna is still bemusedly half-conscious. "Leo!" Says Luna, calling out, silently.

In the first aid station. Leo stretches and lets out a hu-u-u-u-ge yawn. "Leo, you're okay!" Dexter says. "Huh? I'm okay?" Asks Leo. "That's right. You just sorta fainted earlier, kid." Tanner says. "Really? I did? I had the weirdest dream, but I can't remember it now!" Says Leo. "Huh. Yeah, dreams are like that." Tanner says. "So hey, how's Luna?" Asks Leo. Dexter looks up at a monitor on the wall. "Check it out." Dexter says. "Mmm?" Asks Leo. "Our Losers' Bracket battle has ended and neither competitor will be moving on! Both duelists have lost!" The announcer says, madly and tragically, via-monitor. "Yweh?! Awww..." Says Leo.

Yusei is still carrying Luna off the field and he notices her Sign fading.

Luna opens her eyes again, as Kuribon appears before her. _"Don't worry, Kuribon. I won't leave you again. I'll always watch over the Spirit World." _Luna thinks to herself. She smiles and Kuribon smiles back, vanishing. Luna leaps out of Yusei's arms and lands on her feet, energy suddenly regained. "I can walk by myself, ya know!" Luna says. Yusei is stunned for a moment and turns to Skylar, who just shrugs at him. Yusei then looks back at Luna and smiles. "Welcome back." Says Yusei.

The crowd is cheering.

Luna waves to them, happily, as she heads toward the arena exit.

Skylar moves to follow after Luna, only to be stopped short by Yusei putting his hand on her shoulder. Skylar turns to face Yusei. "What is it?" Skylar asks. Yusei looks down at her arms, noticing the new markings that appeared on them have ceased glowing. "They didn't solidify, at least not yet." Says Skylar. Yusei looks her in the eyes. "We have to figure this out." Yusei says. Skylar places a hand on his shoulder. "I know." Says Skylar. She then takes her hand off of Yusei's shoulder. "I assure you, we are going to figure all of this out. We shall find the answers we are looking for, Yusei. However, patience is the key right now." Skylar says. Yusei nods, subtly. Skylar then turns away and walks off towards the arena exit.

Yusei takes a few steps to follow Skylar, but stops and looks up at the tower above them.

Up in the tower. Goodwin is smirking and Lazar's grin is downright evil.

"So that girl has a mark. What happens now?" Asks Jack.

Meanwhile, somewhere shadowy, a black-gloved hand with a thick black-and-silver sleeve spins Ancient Fairy Dragon's card on a table with a fingertip, with a sinister laugh...


	21. Chapter 20

_Chapter 20: Second Round Showdown: Part 1_

"You lost?!" Leo asks. He, Luna, Dexter, Tanner and Yanagi are sitting in the stands, while Yusei and Skylar are standing on the stairs. "How're we supposed to get dueling now, Luna?! It's not fair!" Says Leo, yelling hysterically. "Well, just look who's talking. At least I didn't lose my match like you did." Luna says, primly. "Well, yeah, but…" Says Leo. _"I guess because Leo passed out he doesn't remember my duel was about a lot more than this tournament." _Luna thinks to herself.

Flashback. "I've finally left my body behind. I have entered the Spirit World!" The professor says.

"What do you want?" Asks Luna.

"You are much more important than you know, my dear. Now be a good girl and act as my guide. Reveal to me the secrets of this wonderful realm. Lend me your power!" The professor says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"And what power was the professor talking about? Could he have meant that mark on my arm? Ohh..." _Luna thinks to herself. She holds her right forearm with her left hand, gently, the others notice. "What's wrong, Luna? Ya hurt your arm during the duel?" Asks Yanagi. "Yeah, ya keep lookin' at it like you're expecting to see something." Dexter says. "Uhh, my arm's fine. I promise." Says Luna. "If you say so. Now, I think it is time I get you two home." Skylar says. "Have fun babysittin' them." Says Tanner. "Okay! We'll have an all-night dueling sleepover!" Leo says.

"Ladies and gentlemen, listen up!" Says the announcer.

"Huh?" Leo asks.

The announcer guy's head is up on the sphere. "The second round has been announced! Check out the competition brackets! Who knows what excitement awaits! Who will win! Who will lose! Four duelists, two rounds, one champion! Who will it be! Things are gonna get crrrazy! See ya tomorrow!" Says the announcer, via-sphere.

The two matches appear on the surrounding holoscreens, Yusei vs. Greiger, Akiza vs. Commander Koda.

"Yusei versus Greiger? Oh no, not him! Greiger's super-tough, he even beat me!" Leo says. "Looks like you'll be turbo-dueling." Says Tanner, addressing Yusei. "That bad?" Yusei asks. "You bet, 'cause the rumor on the circuit says Greiger's got a brand-new duel runner he's gonna be using. It's supposed to be unbeatable." Says Tanner. _"I can't let Greiger win! Oh! If I can sneak into his garage before the match, I can see what he's got planned and tell Yusei!" _Leo thinks to himself. "Uh, are you okay?" Luna asks. "Huh? Oh, yeah, fine! I just, um, left something! Somewhere else! Be right back!" Says Leo. He's a really bad liar, he's definitely up to something. "Where are you going?" Luna asks. "To um, you know, that place with the, whoa, look at the time, buh-bye!" Says Leo. He runs off.

"Huh?" Dexter asks. "But Leo, this can't be good..." Says Luna.

"Skylar!" Minako says.

"Hm?" Asks Skylar. She turns to look back over her shoulder.

Minako comes running down the staircase and stops when she reaches Skylar. Skylar turns to face Minako. "Skylar? But I thought her name was…" Dexter says. Tanner puts a hand on his shoulder. "Just go along with it." Says Tanner, whispering, behind his hand. "Oh, okay." Dexter says. "What is it, Minako?" Asks Skylar. "The Director has informed me to catch you before you leave. He wishes to speak with you." Minako says. "Is it urgent?" Asks Skylar. "He just told me he wanted to speak with you... alone." Minako says. "Alright, might as well. Go ahead, Minako. I shall catch up." Says Skylar. Minako nods and heads back up from where she came.

"Everything okay, Skylara?" Yusei asks. "Probably not. However, I have to do what Goodwin tells me. Do me a favor, Yusei. Get Luna home. And make sure you find Leo and he gets home, as well." Says Skylar. "Sure thing." Yusei says. "Thank you, I shall meet up with you there afterward." Says Skylar. Luna suddenly runs up to her and wraps her arms around her waist. "Please be careful, Skylara. I feel as if something bad is going to happen tomorrow. I don't know what, but I can just feel it." Luna says. "Don't worry, Luna. Everything is going to be fine. It is only Yusei and Akiza dueling tomorrow, not you or Leo. So now I won't have to worry as much." Says Skylar. Luna then releases her and walks over to Yusei. "I'll see you later, Luna." Skylar says. She heads up the staircase and catches up to Minako.

Minako and Skylar walk through a door heading inside. "That little Luna girl." Says Minako. "What about her, Minako?" Skylar asks. "She seems to really care about you. Not to mention like you." Says Minako. "Yes, she is a sweet kid. Her brother isn't so bad either." Skylar says. "Do you have some sort of connection to her and her brother? Like, are you their sister or cousin or something to them?" Asks Minako. "I am not related to them, in any way. Luna just looks up to me like a sister, Leo not really as much." Skylar says. "So, why did you try to stop Luna's duel then?" Asks Minako. "I was just returning a favor, really." Skylar says. "What kind of favor do you owe her?" Asks Minako. "To tell you the truth, I owe her probably my very life." Skylar says. "What do you mean, Skylar?" Asks Minako, surprised. "That little girl, possibly saved my life, from myself. Trust me, Minako. I was not the same person a couple years back. You look at me now and you see my face half hidden. Not just because I am hiding or because I have scars, because of who I am. A couple years ago, I almost had no idea who I was. A couple years back, I was going through a really tough time. I was close to almost taking my own life. However, as you can see, that didn't happen. I was hanging around with gang members and people who were very abusive, I almost didn't escape from that gang I was a part of. When I saw that a couple of people that I knew in the gang I was in corner these two little kids in order to get money off of them or whatever it was. I got in the way." Skylar says. "Were these two little kids... Leo and Luna?" Asks Minako. "Yes." Skylar says.

Flashback. Leo and Luna are a couple years younger, possibly near the ages of nine.

Two gang members have cornered them, one is a tall and muscular guy, with a short mohawk and chains on his jacket. The other guy is short, with longer hair down to his shoulders and chains on his pants. "Okay you two, hand over your lunch money."

"We don't even go to school you creepy bullies." Says Leo. "Leo, it's not nice to call people names." Luna says.

"Okay, we warned ya kiddies." They both start approaching them.

One of them grabs Leo by his ponytail and pulls him closer to them. "Last chance little boy." "No, you creep." Says Leo. "Fine." He then pushes Leo to the ground, causing him to scuff up his knee. Leo starts tearing, tears running down his cheeks.

Luna runs over to Leo's side. "You shouldn't push people, its mean." Luna says. "Well, I'm just not a nice guy." He is about to pull at Luna's hair, but someone's foot steps on his hand. "Ahhhh."

He then looks up at this person, seeing Skylara standing over him. Skylara is a couple years younger, as well, near the age of possibly sixteen. Skylara's scars are closed and possibly near the end of their healing process. "Why don't you two numbskulls pick on someone your own size, instead of picking on two defenseless kids." Says Skylara. "Like you."

The other guy grabs Skylara around the waist, pulling her away from his gang mate.

He then gets up off the ground, approaching Skylara now. "Kids, run." Skylara says.

Leo starts running off.

Luna doesn't for some reason.

Leo then stops running. "Luna, come on, let's go." Says Leo.

"We can't just leave her, those two could really hurt her." Luna says.

"It's her own fault. Now, let's go." Says Leo.

"I'm sorry, Leo. But I can't." Luna says.

"Your going to wish you hadn't come to help those two, Skylara." "Yeah, by the time we're done with you, you'll have more scars to be healed." "Oh, will I? Cynder, I summon you out." Says Skylara.

At that moment, Cynder appears and stands over Leo and Luna. "Oh my, its huge." Luna says.

"Yeah, its huge and scary." Says Leo.

"It is a she. And she is very pretty to me." Luna says.

As Cynder's sapphire blue eyes glare down at the two thugs, the two lose their minds, forgetting anything about the twins or Skylara. While they are busy being terrified of Cynder, Skylara is able to get out of that ones hold. Cynder now stands over Skylara, as well. Cynder's only there just to scare them and it's working. Cynder then returns back into Skylara's deck.

"You guys are really predictable." Says Skylara.

"Oh, yeah. Well did you predict this?" One of them summons out a monster, it almost hits Luna, but Skylara pulls her out of the way, taking the hit for her.

Skylara ends up hitting her head and right shoulder against a wall, she is still holding Luna in her arms when it happens. Skylara collapses to the ground, landing on her side, her body ended up protecting Luna from hitting the wall. Skylara's arms are still wrapped around Luna. Luna sits up, making one of Skylara's arms fall to the ground and the other arm just dangling off of her shoulders. "No, please wake up. You can't leave us like this." Luna says, crying. Tears are running down her cheeks, as she shakes Skylara's shoulders.

"Luna, are you okay?" Asks Leo. He runs over and goes down to his knees, gently. "Why are you crying, Luna? Did you get hurt?" Leo asks. "No. I'm alright, but she hit her head." Says Luna.

Skylara's eyes start to squirm and then open, slowly, looking up at her. "Hey, she's awake." Leo says. Luna still has tears going down her cheeks. _"She i__s a sweet little kid." _Skylara thinks to herself. She lifts up her hand, weakly, and touches Luna's cheek. Luna puts her hands on Skylara's, holding onto it with both of her hands.

"It's time to say goodbye to your friend, little kiddies."

Luna turns to look over her shoulder at him, with the look of fear on her face. "No, I won't let you hurt Luna's new friend." Says Leo. "Leo." Luna says. Skylara starts getting herself up, causing her to look over at her. Skylara makes it to one knee and then places her hand on that knee in order get herself to stand back up. Luna stands up, too, and hides behind Skylara, clinging to her thigh.

Leo soon cowers and runs over to them, hiding behind Skylara, too, doing the same exact thing as Luna, only on the opposite side of her. "I summon you back out, Cynder." Says Skylara. Cynder reappears, standing next to them. Cynder's tail then wraps around them, protecting them. "You two stay here where its safe. Cynder shall protect you now." Skylara says. She leaps and somersaults over Cynder's tail, landing on the other side of it.

Leo and Luna do as they're told.

"Your dragon isn't scaring us this time." The taller guy then charges at Skylara, only she blocks it.

The shorter guy ends up coming from behind Skylara and holds her arms back with one arm and the other arm around her neck, so she can't fight back.

The taller one approaches Skylara and lifts up her chin. "Now where were we? Oh yeah, now I remember." The shorter guy releases Skylara's neck and arms, pushes her towards the taller one, causing her to run right into something. Skylara's eyes go wide, enduring the sharp pain.

To Luna and Leo's point of view, it just looks as if he punched Skylara.

"That's what happens to those who interfere in our business." He then pulls his fist away, revealing what he has in it.

"Cynder, attack." Says Skylara.

Cynder's fire breath aims toward the two gang members and they both run off like scared little boys, screaming like little girls.

"Cynder, good work." Skylara says. Cynder brings her head down towards her, her long snout in front of her. Skylara then rubs the top of her nose, almost like petting a dog or a cat, similar to what Yusei had done before.

Leo and Luna escape from behind Cynder's tail, and run over to Skylara. "Hey, thanks for helping us out." Says Leo. "You two should really be more careful, you were just lucky this time. Where are your parents, anyway?" Skylara asks. "Away on business." Says Luna. "You mean, you two are all alone?" Skylara asks. "Not really." Says Leo. "But, it does get very lonely." Luna says. "Hey, can we pet your dragon?" Asks Leo. "Go ahead, she doesn't mind." Skylara says.

Luna is the first to walk up to Cynder, who brings her head down to her level. Luna just hugs Cynder around her nose.

Leo is a little wary, but he comes through just simply touching Cynder's cheekbone.

_"They a__re both nice kids, they don__'__t mean any harm." _Skylara thinks to herself. "You two are very brave for your age." Says Skylara.

"Thanks." Leo says.

Luna then goes over to Skylara, seeing that she's holding at her side. "Are you okay?" Asks Luna. "Yes, I am fine." Skylara says. She suddenly falls to her knees, still clutching at her side, wincing in pain a bit. "What's wrong? What happened to you?" Asks Luna. Cynder soon returns to Skylara's deck.

Leo then runs over to Luna's side. Luna moves Skylara's hand out of the way, seeing her hand underneath is stained with blood and looks at the wound in her side. "Those guys hurt you, they stabbed you." Luna says. Tears start running down her cheeks again, she then wraps her arms around Skylara's waist. "I'm so sorry, you got hurt because of us." Says Luna, crying. "It shall be alright, little one. You are too sweet, you must be strong. I took this stab wound to protect you. You showed me kindness, something I never received. So in return, I protected you to thank you." Skylara says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "That was very brave of you to risk your life like that, Skylar. Now I see more of who you are and why Luna is so little sisterly towards you." Says Minako. "Yes. However, now I think I am the one bringing her into danger. Something I can't protect her from this time." Skylar says. "Like what?" Asks Minako.

Meanwhile, at the docks in the Satellite, a work boat is pulling in. "…Alright, people, I don't know why you wanted to sneak back into this trash town, but we're here! Hope ya had a pleasant trip! Now get your things and get off my boat! Enjoy the Satellite!" Blister, along with two other passengers, disembark. Blister has an old brown hat pulled down to shadow his face and a rucksack slung over his shoulder. A tall, bald sailor hands a clipboard to a redheaded dock worker, who looks at it. "…The manifest shows that you had three passengers onboard. Okay, so, ah, everybody's all paid up?" The bald sailor confirms this then shouts at the three passengers. "…Hm. Hey, now get movin' before you get picked up by Sector Security!"

As Blister walks through the streets, a couple kids run past, playing. A pudgy guy in sunglasses is standing outside an old van. "…Step right up for the fastest ride to the Satellite markets, the place to get the best recycled electronics around! They got encryptors, decryptors, recryptors! All makes, all models!" Blister walks up to this man and takes off his hat. "Room for one more?" Blister asks. "…Hey, Blister, it's been way too long, buddy! Aren't you based in the City now? What brings you back here?" Blister tosses his rucksack and hat onto the seat and sits down next to them in the van. "A favor for a friend." Says Blister. "…I thought you gave up friends." The van takes off toward the belching smokestacks in the distance. "So did I." Blister says, ruefully.

"This card should help you in your duel against Yusei. Heh heh heh heh!" Says Lazar. He offers a trap card, 'Chariot Pile' and Greiger accepts it.

Goodwin is sitting on the couch.

"This is perfect." Greiger says. "Just don't forget, Greiger. We need you to bring out Yusei's mark." Says Lazar.

"Greiger knows what the stakes are. He's a faithful servant of Yliaster, and will determine if Yusei's truly a Signer once and for all. Correct?" Goodwin asks.

"Yes, I swear it, Sir. And once I'm finished, can I rely on your word?" Asks Greiger.

"Of course. Your village, right? Tragic! I wish there was something that could've been done to stop the devastation. How is your family? Have you heard anything from them?" Goodwin asks, glibly.

"Nothing yet. I hope that they are all okay." Says Greiger.

"Oh, I'm sure that they are." Goodwin says.

Greiger frowns. "Hmph, and I'm sure they're in dire need of the food and supplies you promised to deliver, once I get Yusei's mark to appear. Now I must go and prepare for my duel." Says Greiger. He walks away.

Lazar watches Greiger.

_"Yes, prepare!" _Goodwin thinks to himself, inscrutable.

As Greiger heads out, Skylar sort of collides into his chest. "Sorry about that, Greiger." Skylar says. "Hey, don't worry about it. You seem out of sorts, you feelin' okay?" Asks Greiger. "Yes, it is just my head has sort of been throbbing all day." Skylar says. "You sure it's nothing else?" Asks Greiger. Skylar starts to nod, but then her eyes start to roll back into her head, causing her to collapse into him again.

Greiger wraps his arms around Skylar before she can fall backwards. "Hey? Skylar, you okay?" Greiger asks. He then brings Skylara to the ground, gently, holding her in a familiar position, similar to the one Yusei had held her in. Greiger places a hand on Skylar's forehead. "She's starting to burn up, Goodwin." Says Greiger. He then removes his hand from Skylar's forehead.

Goodwin has got up from the couch by now, walking over towards Greiger on the other side of Skylar.

"Poor little thing's been working too hard." Lazar says.

Goodwin has placed Skylar's hand in his, for reasons he only knows. "I can take her from here, Greiger. You can go on ahead." Says Goodwin. "Please, Goodwin. Be easy on her." Greiger says, concerned. "She'll be well taken care of." Says Goodwin. Greiger releases Skylar and he's now holding onto her. Greiger then leaves and closes the door behind himself.

Goodwin gets himself up, cradling Skylar in his arms. _"Now to see if I'm right about you." _Goodwin thinks to himself.

Greiger is walking down the hallway and Jack approaches from the other end.

They stop short, something of a showdown.

"Nice outfit." Jack says, sarcastically.

"I don't have time to trash-talk with you. Now what do you want?" Asks Greiger.

"Just this. I don't like you, Greiger, and I never have." Jack says.

Greiger growls.

"Now don't even think of beating Yusei, he's all mine. But then again, I shouldn't worry too much. You were barely able to beat that pigtailed pipsqueak before." Says Jack.

"Listen up, Jack. My job is to put Yusei through the ringer. So in the meantime, why don't you stay outta my way if ya don't wanna get hurt? By the way, I would check on your little friend Skylar, she seems to need someone right now." Greiger says. He keeps walking.

Jack stands still. _"You had better not interfere with my destiny, Greiger!" _Jack thinks to himself, menacingly.

He then walks in through the door, seeing Skylar lying almost motionless on the couch.

Goodwin and Lazar are looking out the window.

"What happened to 'er?!" Asks Jack. He walks over to Skylar and sits down next to her on the couch. "If you've harmed her in any way!" Jack says, threateningly.

"Relax Jack, she's fine. We didn't do anything to her." Says Lazar.

"Then why is she like this?" Jack asks.

"Jack, it is against my nature to bring harm to a woman. She just suddenly collapsed, trust me." Says Goodwin.

Skylar starts showing signs of life and opens her eyes, weakly. Jack then grabs a hold of Skylar's arm and helps her sit up. "You okay?" Jack asks. "Yes. Thank you, Jack." Says Skylar.

Goodwin turns and walks over to her and Jack. "I'm glad to see your feeling better and have awakened, dear Skylar." Goodwin says, warmhearted. He stops before Skylar and Jack. "What did you want to see me for, Goodwin?" Asks Skylar. "It's not important, it can wait until tomorrow. You seem very exhausted, you should probably head home and get some rest." Goodwin says. "Very well, Sir." Says Skylar. She then gets herself off of the couch and heads for the door.

When Skylar leaves, Jack doesn't look very happy with Lazar and Goodwin.

Night in an alleyway somewhere. Leo darts around the corner and ducks into an alley. The number on the garage door that Leo's standing in front of is 0132. _"Greiger's garage! Time to check out that super-secret runner of his!" _Leo thinks to himself. He looks around and ventures forward. Balancing on a pile of junk, Leo creeps in through a high window. _"Almost there. Just a few more inches and I'm in!" _Leo thinks to himself. He reaches and loses his balance, falling through the window headfirst. "Yeeeeeaaa… ugh!" Leo then sits on the ground, rubbing his head. "Next time I'm packing a parachute. Uugh. Now to find that runner so I can help Yusei." Leo says. He turns on a little pocket flashlight, his first glimpse of the runner, a scary demonic faceplate of some kind, scares him and he yells. That sets off an alarm and a siren on the ceiling begins to flash and sound. Leo clings to the wall. "This isn't happening! If I can't see them they can't see me!" Says Leo, wailing.

Meanwhile, Luna and Yusei are sitting down to a rather fancy dinner at a little four-person tea party table. "Leo's never late for dinner. I mean, he likes eating food almost as much as he likes dueling. Maybe even more. And he knows eight P.M. is curfew." Luna says. "I'll go out and find him. I have a feeling he's in trouble." Says Yusei. "I can help." Luna says. "You should stay here, it's late." Says Yusei. "Come on, please? He's my brother! What if he's hurt? And we can cover twice the ground in half the time!" Luna says. "You got a point. But be safe out there, okay?" Asks Yusei. "Okay." Luna says.

Greiger is walking toward his garage carrying a huge wrench. The sirens are still going. _"Something must've tripped the alarm to my garage." _Greiger thinks to himself. He opens the door and finds Leo huddled on the floor, he appears to have fallen asleep. _"Hmmm. What're you doing here?"_ Greiger thinks to himself.

In the Satellite by night, lit by a scant few lanterns, the used electronics market is bustling. "…Wow, these markets got everything!" "…Yeah, and the prices are perfect!" "…I just can't believe all this great stuff." "…Lemme have another one a' those."

The shuttle Blister caught earlier stops at one end of the narrow market alley. A couple other guys climb out. "…We're here!" "…Sweet!" The driver speaks to Blister again. "…Promise me that you'll be careful, Blister. Goodwin's Security goons are lurking everywhere!" "Don't you worry about me, I'll be fine." Says Blister. He puts on his hat again, slings his rucksack over his shoulder and walks off into the market.

Sometime later. Blister is walking along an empty, time-worn street somewhere in the Satellite, following a hand-held GPS device. _"__Okay__, Yusei. __T__he coordinates you gave me should lead me right to your friends. I just hope Goodwin hasn't gotten to them already."_ Blister thinks to himself. The GPS beeps, he's standing outside the sidewalk entrance to an underground subway station. _"So this is it."_ Blister thinks to himself. He walks down the familiar stairs, shining a flashlight ahead of him. _"An old subway tunnel. Looks like it hasn't been used in decades. I like it, though, reminds me a' my place back in the City, just a bit cleaner." _Blister thinks to himself. "Hello? Anyone down here? Don't be alarmed, I'm a friend of Yusei's. Come on out! Hello? He sent me here to check up on you guys." Blister says. _"Huh! This place has been ransacked!"_ Blister thinks to himself. He is standing alone in the doorway of the hideout in the subway tunnel. The only light is from his flashlight. The place looks as if a tornado hit it, with almost everything toppled or smashed on the floor. _"This isn't good, where could they be?"_ Blister thinks to himself.

Meanwhile, Yusei is riding the streets of New Domino in search of Leo. Yusei coasts around the edge of a stop light intersection and comes to a halt in a little side street.

Yusei puts up his visor and takes off his helmet, as Luna runs over and joins him. "So did you find Leo?" Asks Yusei. "No, I'm scared." Luna says. "Don't worry, Luna. Your brother's out here, and we'll find 'im." Says Yusei. His runner beeps and he presses a button on the screen. "Blister?" Yusei asks. The sound is slightly distorted, it skips a bit, like a bad speaker. "Yusei. I went to your friends' bunker, but the place has been totally trashed." Says Blister, via-screen. "Trashed?! But they're okay, right?" Yusei asks. Blister shakes his head. "They're missing. I can't find a trace." Says Blister, via-screen. "What happened?! Did Goodwin take them in?" Yusei asks. "No idea! And here's where the trail goes cold, after I hacked into Security I couldn't find a trace of 'em! It's like they just vanished. And if Goodwin's got a hold of 'em, they could be anywhere by now." Says Blister, via-screen. The picture distorts even more. "They're tracking my signal, I gotta sign off quick! Agh! I'll call you back if I find anything." Blister says, via-screen. "Thanks." Says Yusei. Static, he clicks off the screen. "I'm sorry. Are your friends missing, too?" Luna asks. "Yeah." Says Yusei. _"And I blame myself." _Yusei now thinks to himself. They hear a sound nearby, someone's coming. They both turn. "Huh? Yusei, someone's in the alley." Luna says.

Skylar walks out of the shadows. "Hey, you two. Still looking for Leo?" Asks Skylar. "Yeah, did you happen to find him by any chance?" Yusei asks. He can tell in Skylar's eyes, she looks troubled once again. "Actually, I found someone else on my way here." Says Skylar. They soon hear another sound nearby, someone else is coming. Luna then runs over to Skylar and clings to her waist, as she turns to look back over her shoulder.

Greiger walks out of the shadows, carrying Leo slung over a shoulder. "He's got Leo!" Luna says._ "And he doesn't look too happy about it."_ Yusei thinks to himself.

The more distant tops of buildings are still lit, but the alleyway him, Greiger, Skylar and the twins are in is dark. "Greiger, what are you doing with Leo?" Asks Yusei. "Relax, he's okay, Yusei. He broke into my garage. I found him sleeping on the floor." Greiger says.

A little while later. Greiger is tucking Leo into his bed back at the apartment, listening to the kid's loud snoring, with a smile.

Out in the living room. Skylar is pulling a blanket over Luna, who's asleep on the couch, while Yusei watches as she does.

Greiger soon joins them. "The boy's sound asleep." Says Greiger. "He sure can snore, can't he?" Yusei asks. Greiger nods. "Yep." Says Greiger.

Out on the patio. The two future rivals and Skylar are looking out at the beautiful sparkling water of the pool. "Thank you for bringing Leo back. I owe you one." Skylar says.

"Forget it. The boy was just trying to help Yusei out." Says Greiger.

"Help me out?" Yusei asks.

"He wanted a sneak peek at my new duel runner like everyone else out there. In fact, I had to install five new alarm systems just to keep it under wraps." Says Greiger.

"Are you going to call Security?" Skylar asks.

"Hm. No. He reminds me a' my own little brother." Says Greiger.

"Hm?" Yusei asks. "Yes. He reminds me of my own younger brother when he was little, too." Says Skylar, teasing. "Hey." Yusei says, playing along.

"So, you two are siblings, then?" Asks Greiger.

Yusei just shrugs. "Half-twins, actually." Yusei says.

"'Half-twins'? Never heard of that one before. What does that mean?" Asks Greiger.

"Well, it's kinda complicated." Yusei says. "You see, Yusei and I are fraternal twins, just like Leo and Luna." Says Skylar. "But, we're also half-siblings. Her and I were born from the same mom, but we have different dads. She's also older than me by a day and two hours, according to our birth records." Yusei says.

"Well, you two're truly something. Being both half-siblings and twins. Never even heard of such a thing." Says Greiger.

"It confuses us even to this day, we can't explain it either. But, birth records don't lie." Yusei says. "Greiger, please don't tell Goodwin or anyone about Yusei and I being related. It would ruin everything." Says Skylar.

"Don't worry, your half-twin secret is safe with me." Greiger says.

"Thanks, Greiger." Says Yusei. "Yes, we really appreciate it." Skylar says.

"Anyway, I'm not gonna punish the boy just 'cause he's trying to help you win our duel tomorrow. It won't make a difference, you're still goin' down! I may be a good guy off the track, but trust me when I say that you don't wanna mess with me when I'm turbo-dueling. After all, these're the big leagues, Yusei. And there's quite a bit riding on this tournament for me and my future." Says Greiger.

"What, like a big trophy?" Yusei asks.

"Big trophy? No, the future I'm talking about is for my family." Says Greiger. He walks a few steps off. "They're far away, waiting, hoping I'd bring them some help. We used to count the stars together. Here, there's only smog. And you, why are you dueling here?" Greiger asks.

"My friends. I don't have a choice about it." Says Yusei.

"Lemme guess…" Greiger says. He turns around. "Goodwin made you an offer that you couldn't refuse. Sound right?" Asks Greiger.

"How'd you know? He come to you, too?" Yusei asks.

Greiger nods. "Mm. He offered me a chance to rebuild my family's village." Says Greiger. He looks off into the distance as he continues.

Vision. The skies above Greiger's home are filled with stars. The wind whistles through the hills and mountains, and in this distance, two young kids can be seen waving. "My people believe that our forefathers were servants of the People of the Stars, and our village has a deep, hidden power." Greiger says, in voice-over. The vision ends.

Back to the present. "Hidden power? Are you talking about the legend of the Crimson Dragon?" Asks Yusei.

"That's right. The legend has it that 'whoever controls the dragon, also gets to control the destiny of the world'. I haven't been back to my village in years. But after I complete my mission here, I'll head back to rebuild my home." Greiger says.

"You can't trust Goodwin's word, Greiger." Says Skylar.

"Easy for you to say. But I need his power to help rebuild my village. I heard it was consumed with fire and destruction unlike any natural disaster ever seen. Then Director Goodwin came to me. He said that he'd help, but not until I promised to help him with his quest." Greiger says.

"Greiger, don't you see you are being used?" Asks Skylar.

"If it's the only way to rebuild my village, then I'll let him use me all he wants, Skylar. Sorry, but tomorrow I have to win no matter what." Greiger says.

"And my friends need me." Says Yusei.

"Then I guess we'll leave it at that. May the best man win." Greiger says. He walks past Yusei and halts back-to-back with him. "You're a good guy, and in a perfect world we'd both get what we want in the arena tomorrow. But the world isn't perfect! One of us has to lose, and tomorrow it's going to be you." Says Greiger. He keeps walking, Yusei doesn't turn. They're enemies now and the new tension is palpable.

The second morning of the Fortune Cup, exterior of the Kaibadome, then interior.

"Welcome back to the Semi-Finals of the Fortune Cup! Four duelists remain, and the winner will take on Jack Atlas in the championship duel. First up in our turbo-duel we've got Yusei Fudo squaring off against the Tower of Power, Greiger! Start your engines!" The announcer says.

Tanner, Yanagi, Luna and Dexter are sitting in the stands.

The Sphere and another holoscreen are showing Yusei, Greiger and the two match-ups, Yusei vs. Greiger and Akiza vs. Koda.

Now, with this last, the crowd erupts in cheers. "Luna, have you seen Leo?" Asks Yanagi. "Yeah, he said he had something important to tell Yusei." Luna says.

Yusei's runner screen is showing a rotating schematic of the runner in bright green. Yusei is already astride his runner with his helmet on, he's apparently making a last-minute adjustment.

Leo is not his usual bouncy self, as he approaches Yusei, tentatively. "Yusei? I'm really sorry about yesterday. I was just trying to help." Says Leo. "I understand, but cheating's never the answer. Besides, I don't need to cheat to beat Greiger. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a turbo-duel to win." Yusei says. Leo's fears are alleviated and he's back to normal. "Go for it! Ah! And take 'im down!" Says Leo. Yusei smiles in reply and puts down his helmet visor. Yusei zooms out of the garage area.

"I believe in you! I know you can do it!" Leo says, calling out after him.

Yusei and his runner are launched into the arena, dramatically, in fine Kaibadome style.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for Yusei!" Says the announcer.

Yusei's face is on the Sphere.

A few boos can be heard in the crowd, but there's a lot of enthusiastic cheering, too.

Meanwhile, somewhere backstage in the dark, visor down and waiting to enter the arena, sits Greiger. _"This is for my family. And once I win the match, I'll get exactly what I want." _Greiger thinks to himself.

Flashback. A beautiful starry sky, Greiger drives through on a runner. "'Bye, Greiger! We'll be good!" Two children, an older girl and younger boy, both much younger than Greiger, wave from a hillside overlooking the road. Greiger waves back, both kids are smiling and laughing.

Suddenly, the vision changes and the two are engulfed in unnatural purple flames. "Aah! Help us!" The flashback/vision ends.

Back to the present. The door opens and light from the stadium shines onto his face. _"Goodwin, have I got a surprise for you!" _Greiger thinks to himself.

Yusei is taking another warmup lap, when he hears the squeal of gigantic tires. Yusei gasps. "What's that sound, an earthquake?!" Yusei asks.

The source of the sound, a competitor entrance to the dueling track and Greiger's uber-runner shoots out of it. It's gigantic, a monster truck of a duel runner, with three wheels like a big-wheel, elevated off the road and pointy in all directions. It could squash another runner, like a bug.

"Will ya look at that!? It's the most incredible duel runner I've ever seen! It's a whopper of a chopper, it's the wheels with appeal! Ladies and gentlemen, it's Greiger and his beast!" Says the announcer.

Greiger lands on the track and catches up to Yusei, almost immediately. One of the monster runner's wheels alone is half as tall as Yusei and his runner. Greiger glares over at Yusei, swerves closer, crowding him and smiles, grimly. Yusei ignores this.

"That's some duel runner. Yusei's gonna have his work cut out for 'im!" Tanner says.

Leo runs up and joins them. "Wha'd I miss?!" Asks Leo. "Just that, Greiger's runner!" Luna says. From their angle, Greiger's runner is also twice as long as Yusei's and more or less three times as wide. Leo notices the shiny, pointy front-piece, which looks vaguely like an angry bull. "That's what I saw in Greiger's garage! No wonder he had an alarm, that thing looks so cool!" Says Leo.

Up in the tower. Goodwin and Lazar are at the window.

Jack's on the couch and Skylar is on the armrest of the couch. _"Greiger, you had better not jeopardize my chances of getting even with Yusei!" _Jack thinks to himself.

Yusei and Greiger slow and stop neatly in the starting-blocks. Yusei is in the first and Greiger is in the second.

"You call that thing a duel runner, Yusei? Did it come with training wheels for ya?" Greiger asks.

"Just 'cause you're bigger doesn't mean you're better, Greiger." Says Yusei.

"Yeah, right, talk to me after the duel's done! Good luck 'cause you're gonna need it!" Greiger says.

"And now take out your 'Speed World' field spells. Leeeeeet's activate 'em!" Says the announcer.

Both runner screens show 'Speed World' activate. "Duel mode engaged. Autopilot standing by." The computer says. The purple effect spreads out from the two runners like ripples from two stones thrown into a pond. The sky turns pink.

"Remember, only the winner advances, and in a turbo-duel, only speed spells can be used!" Says the announcer.

"Get ready to eat my dust!" Greiger says.

"Countdown initiated. Ready, set, duel." Says the computer. As the two runners take off, once again Greiger is crowding Yusei with his front wheel.

"I'll make the first move, Yusei! I draw!" Greiger says. It's the trap 'Delta Reactor'. Greiger reaches for another card in his hand, seeing his cards, Spell Reactor•RE, Summon Reactor•SK, 'Fake Explosion', Trap Reactor•Y FI and 'Hidden Soldiers'. "And I think I'll start with this, Spell Reactor•RE!" Says Greiger. Spell Reactor•RE has 1200 attack points. "And next I'll throw down three face downs! You're up!" Greiger says.

"I summon out my, huh?" Asks Yusei. He breaks off, as the thunderous sound of Greiger's runner engine gets even louder.

"Now how's Yusei supposed to concentrate when he's got three thousand decibels of horsepower blaring in his ear, huh?!" Tanner asks. "Who says he can?" Asks Leo.

"First I'll throw down a face down, and then I'll summon my Speed Warrior!" Yusei says.

"In that case I activate my face down trap card, 'Hidden Soldiers'! Now yours truly gets a level-four monster from my hand, and I got just the one for you. He goes by Trap Reactor•Y FI! And with this card on my field, Yusei. I only need one more for a big surprise!" Says Greiger.

"I think I know what Greiger's got planned, guys..." Dexter says. "Yusei'd better rev it up, and I mean fast." Says Tanner.

"For the first round Speed Warrior's on the field, he gets double his attack points! Now send that Reactor back to the shop!" Yusei says.

Greiger appears a little too unfazed, as his monster gets destroyed, engulfing him in a cloud of dark smoke. When Greiger comes back into view, it's still there.

"No way!" Says Yusei.

"Don't tell me you're shocked, I had two face downs on my field and one of them was 'Fake Explosion'! And not only does this trap knock out your low-octane attack, but I get a bonus. As in a level-five monster from my hand, bringin' your surprise early! Summon Reactor•SK, join the party!" Greiger says. Summon Reactor•SK has 2000 attack points, 1400 defense points, is a level 5 monster and is a dark type monster.

Summon Reactor•SK is a monster card that inflicts eight hundred points of damage when your opponent summons a monster to the field.

"Ohh..." Says Luna. "He's got all three Reactors in play!" Dexter says. "At least he doesn't have 'Delta Reactor'!" Says Leo.

A slight freeze frame as they realize that, that was far too much to hope for. "Now I will activate my 'Delta Reactor'! This card sends Summon Reactor, Trap Reactor and Spell Reactor all to the graveyard. I hate to do this to ya, Yusei. But like I told you last night, one of us has to lose and today it's you." Greiger says.

"Yusei, no!" Says Leo.

"I summon, Flying Fortress SKY FIRE!" Greiger says. SKY FIRE is a flying behemoth. As it appears in the sky above, its turbines roar to life, armed to the teeth, it has large bombs and three different turrets of guns. It's a giant robot.

"It looks like that bad bikes not just for show. Greiger brings out his big bang beast in the second round!" Says the announcer.

Goodwin and Lazar are watching, silently.

As is Jack and Skylar.

"If you thought it was loud in here before, just get a load a' this! You lose eight hundred points of damage if you ever summon a monster or place one card face down! And if that weren't enough, the card you just played will also be destroyed!" Greiger says.

At the loud sound of rotors, Yusei looks up. SKY FIRE is hovering right above Yusei and his Speed Warrior, looming.

"Just face it, friend. You can't make a move without getting hurt! My family needs me! Which means that you're gonna have to lose this match, Yusei!" Says Greiger. The look in his eyes is one of outright desperation.

Yusei stares back at him, determined.


	22. Chapter 21

_Chapter 21: Second Round Showdown: Part 2_

"We're going into round three of this nerve-wracking duel, and Greiger's now in the driver's seat!" The announcer says.

"It's my turn. Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, take out Yusei's Speed Warrior!" Says Greiger. SKY FIRE shoots at the ground, Speed Warrior dashes into the air and gets snagged in one of its propellers.

Yusei doesn't flinch. Yusei's lifepoints decrease to 1900 and he drops two speed counters, leaving him with 0.

With that massive setback, Greiger passes Yusei, easily, and he goes spinning backward.

"Yusei has taken a lashing! He's spinning out, he's gonna, wait, no! He's managed to gain control! But that direct attack has forced Yusei to shift gears, and his game-plan! As it looks like the twenty-one-hundred points of damage he took cost him all the speed counters he'd gained so far!" The announcer says.

"That's not good..." Says Leo. "It'll be hard to catch up!" Yanagi says.

From Yusei's wheel, along the track at a bug's-eye view, under Flying Fortress SKY FIRE and up to Greiger, who's halfway around the track by now. "Hah! You seem like a nice enough guy, Yusei, but you gotta fall! 'Cause I got too much riding on this duel to risk losing it!" Says Greiger. He plays a face down.

Yusei draws. "And so do I!" Yusei says. He drew a trap, 'Wasteland Tornado'. _"With SKY FIRE on the field, he can destroy the first card I play every turn, so…"_ Yusei thinks to himself. "From my hand, I summon Shield Warrior in defense mode!" Says Yusei. Shield Warrior has 1600 defense points.

"Too bad your Warrior can't 'shield' itself from my assault! Remember, when you play a card, that card is destroyed, and SKY FIRE rains eight hundred points of damage from above!" Greiger says. SKY FIRE lets loose three bombs, shelling Yusei and Shield Warrior.

Yusei's lifepoints are now 1100 and he starts spinning out, back along the track.

"Yusei spins out again!" Says the announcer.

Yusei regains control and zooms back after Greiger. "I place one card face down and end my turn!" Yusei says.

"Greiger is seriously wiping the track with Yusei! The kid's got no speed counters, no monsters on his field. If Greiger nails him with a direct attack on this next turn, Yusei's Fortune Cup will be over!" Says the announcer.

"He's done! Greiger's got it to where he can't even summon a monster without the thing getting obliterated right away! Man, Greiger won't quit! He's just a hulking tower of ruthlessness!" Leo says. "You didn't notice that when you were dueling him?" Asks Luna. "Leo was just too excited to be dueling in the tournament to notice things like his opponent." Yanagi says. "I wouldn't put this duel in the books just yet. Yusei can win this." Says Tanner. "He can?" Yanagi asks. "You betcha. Now, what do we know about this Flying Fortress SKY FIRE of Greiger's?" Asks Tanner. "Um..." Yanagi says. Pause, nobody knows the answer. "Well, we know it's big, we know it's loud, we know it's powerful, and we know that, once a turn, it destroys a card Yusei plays the second he plays it." Says Dexter. "And as soon as Greiger destroyed Shield Warrior, Yusei placed a card face down." Tanner says. "I get it! You're thinking the summoning of Shield Warrior was a diversion!" Says Dexter. "Mmm-hmm." Tanner says. "His real goal was that face down!" Says Dexter. "I'll bet you a corn dog that card's a game-changer, like 'Mirror Force'." Tanner says.

_"Yusei has two face down cards. Let's see if you're clever enough to figure out his game, Greiger." _Jack thinks to himself.

"It's my turn!" Says Greiger. He drew 'Chariot Pile'. _"And I'm sure one of his face downs could turn the tables. So I'm gonna have to turn 'em first! Yusei, you're a very skillful duelist, but so am I! You might think your face downs are safe, but you'd better think again because I've got your strategy all figured out!" _Greiger thinks to himself. Slow-motion monochromatic purple as he rounds a bend.

Yusei is still on the straight.

_"I know you're fighting to help your friends, but I can't let you stop me from completing my mission, and that's why I'm willing to take the necessary risks to destroy any chances you have of winning this duel. But I know this won't be an easy task to accomplish, so don't expect me to pull any punches! 'Cause I plan on using every card I have in my deck to make sure that I'm the one taking the victory lap!"_ Greiger thinks to himself. "Here I come!" Greiger says. He twists his right-side accelerator toggle and the huge engines in the back of his runner kick in. Greiger and SKY FIRE come zooming around the track. "Behind you, Yusei!" Says Greiger.

Yusei looks over his shoulder. "Huh!" Yusei says.

Greiger is nearly lapping him and is now chasing him. "Get ready for a direct assault!" Says Greiger.

"That's what I was hoping for!" Yusei says.

"But why?!" Asks Greiger.

"So I can play, 'Wasteland Tornado'! Now I can use this card to lay waste to one trap card. And the card I'm destroying is, 'Limiter Overload'!" Yusei says.

"Why are you destroying your own card?!" Asks Greiger.

"'Cause this card's destruction gives me the power to summon Speed Warrior from my graveyard! And with a monster in defense mode, I won't take any damage." Yusei says. Speed Warrior appears and stands between him and SKY FIRE's barrage of bullets, bravely.

"You may've just dodged my assault, but I still managed to rid you of one of your face down cards, and I didn't have to get rid of any of my own cards to do it!" Says Greiger.

_"This guy's not messin' around. He figured out my game plan." _Yusei thinks to himself.

"Tanner, he didn't play 'Mirror Force'. Where's Dex's corn dog?" Leo asks, nervously. "Well, we never shook." Says Tanner, evasively.

Greiger races after Yusei.

Both runners are kicking up sparks from the track.

"I place one card face down and end my turn!" Greiger says.

"It's my move!" Says Yusei. He drew Turbo Booster, Rally's card. _"Rally..."_ Yusei thinks to himself. He reaches for a second card from his hand and sees his cards, he picks up Fortress Warrior, he also has 'Synchro Spirits' and 'Speed Spell-Zero Rebirth.' "From my hand, I summon Fortress Warrior in attack mode!" Yusei says. Fortress Warrior has 600 attack points.

"With another monster summoned, another monster gets leveled! And another eight hundred points of direct damage are coming your way due to my SKY FIRE's special ability!" Says Greiger. SKY FIRE deploys three missiles, Fortress Warrior blocks two and the third goes wide, missing Fortress Warrior, arcing into the air and coming up behind it, destroying it.

Yusei hangs on through the explosion, he's down to 300 lifepoints.

"Wow!" The announcer says.

As Yusei recovers, Greiger passes him.

"Greiger has lapped Yusei!" Says the announcer.

"I'm playing the 'Speed Spell-Zero Reverse'!" Yusei says.

'Zero Reverse' allows you to re-summon a monster that was destroyed by an effect this turn. However, this monster's attack points become zero.

"And now I re-summon Fortress Warrior!" Says Yusei.

_"Why would he summon a monster that can't attack?"_ Greiger thinks to himself.

Yusei looks at Turbo Booster.

Flashback. Rally leaps down the curb onto the track of the abandoned subway tunnel. "Almost forgot! Here! For good luck!" Rally says. "What is it, Rally?" Asks Yusei. "Turbo Booster!" Rally says. Yusei turns to him. "Wasn't this your dad's card?" Asks Yusei. Rally nods. "Hm. I want you to take it. Like my dad always says, you never know when you might need a boost!" Rally says. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Yusei's still looking at the card. "Remember, we've got something in common, Greiger. We're both out for our own." Says Yusei.

"Hmph!" Greiger says.

"And if I plan on winning this battle…" Says Yusei. He shows the card. "…I'll need my friends to get me to the finish line! This is for you, Rally!" Yusei says.

He remembers Rally's face, and Tank, Blitz and Nervin as they sit around the computer.

"And all the rest of my pals! I summon Turbo Booster in attack mode!" Says Yusei. Turbo Booster has 0 attack points, is a level 1 monster and is an earth type monster. "Now Fortress Warrior, attack Greiger's SKY FIRE!" Yusei says.

"You're just sending your monster to its doom!" Says Greiger.

"Not with Turbo Booster's special ability! You see, by releasing this card, I can take down a monster of yours as long as it's fighting against one of mine!" Yusei says.

"But because of the battle, I'm still able to win this duel!" Says Greiger.

"I don't think so! Fortress Warrior can make my battle damage become zero!" Yusei says.

"Hunh?" Asks Greiger.

"I release, Turbo Booster!" Yusei says. Fortress Warrior comes flying down on SKY FIRE as it fires back, propelled by Turbo Booster's rocket boots. They vanish, Fortress Warrior dives and punches a hole right through SKY FIRE. It lands and cowers below, as SKY FIRE begins to catch fire and fall apart.

"Whoa! Talk about a comeback! Yusei has blasted Greiger's SKY FIRE outta the sky!" Says the announcer.

"Huah?!" Greiger asks. Indeed, as he watches, SKY FIRE crashes on the track, sending up a big cloud of thick smoke. Even worse, all the bombs in SKY FIRE's huge arsenal blow up and Greiger's driving right into them! "Aaaaagh! Yaaah!" Says Greiger. He drives right into the huge cloud of smoke.

"Incredible! Yusei has destroyed Greiger's SKY FIRE! Oh, the humanity!" The announcer says.

"You may've grounded my air assault, but let's see how you handle my 'Chariot Pile' trap card!" Says Greiger. Spinning sharp spikes appear on the axles of his two back wheels.

"Oh, no!" Yanagi, Dexter, Leo and Luna all say.

"You won't defeat me, Yusei. There's too much at stake here!" Says Greiger, intensely.

Flashback. A tall building, somewhere in New Domino. A random peon appears on a monitor. "…Director Goodwin, the next match is about to begin, and we didn't wanna start without you." "Turn this signal off! Hey, wait a second. You're not the Director! Who is this?! That office is off-limits!"_ "And so is my village. Now, let's see what you're hiding, Goodwin..." _Greiger thinks to himself. He's looking at a folder on the computer screen, with an image of the Crimson Dragon on the front. _"I knew it! It's all right here in your personal files. You were responsible for the destruction of my village!" _Greiger thinks to himself. He lets out a huge roar and pounds both fists on the table once, tears flowing down his cheeks. _"I'll get you, Goodwin!" _Greiger thinks to himself. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I respect you as a duelist, Yusei. But I have something I must do. And you're just a roadblock standing in my way!" Greiger says. He draws. "'Chariot Pile's' effect activates! So once a turn, my 'Chariot' can hit you for eight hundred points of damage! Looks like your lifepoints are about to get speared, Yusei! There's no way you can outrun my attack!" Says Greiger.

"Maybe, but I can certainly out-maneuver it by sacrificing, my Fortress Warrior!" Yusei says.

Greiger smiles. "Hmph. You can try to defend yourself all you want, but you're only delaying your own defeat!" Says Greiger.

Yusei chases him around yet another curve, gaining with every inch. "It's my move!" Yusei says. He drew Junk Synchron._ "And if I don't pull this combo off, I'm done-for." _Yusei thinks to himself. "I summon to the field Junk Synchron!" Says Yusei. Junk Synchron has 1300 attack points. "And because I successfully summoned it out, I can also summon a monster out directly from my graveyard! So I re-summon, Speed Warrior! And because Speed Warrior's here on the field, I can now give 'im a little tune-up!" Yusei says. Speed Warrior leaps into the air, Junk Synchron follows, transforming into a handful of glimmering stars.

"That won't help you, Yusei!" Says Greiger.

The stars align, forming into bright green rings. Speed Warrior floats through the rings, turning into glowing outlines. Its two stars align. "Junk Warrior, let's rev it up!" Yusei says. Junk Warrior has 2300 attack points. "Send his lifepoints to the junk pile! Go, Scrap Fist!" Says Yusei.

"Not good enough, Yusei! I'm afraid that 'Chariot Pile' has another effect! When your monster attacks me directly, I can sacrifice eight hundred lifepoints to deflect your monster's attack, and destroy your monster!" Greiger says. A shimmering multicolored bubble appears around him and his runner, while Junk Warrior bounces off it and disintegrates. Greiger has 2600 lifepoints left.

"Ahh!" Dexter screams. "Man, Yusei just can't seem to keep a monster on the field." Says Leo.

"I place one card face down and end my turn!" Yusei says.

"It's my move! And I summon Black Salvo!" Says Greiger. Black Salvo is a happily diabolical round black bomb, with a lit fuse. Black Salvo has 100 attack points.

When you summon the tuner monster Black Salvo, you can also summon one level-four dark-attribute monster from your graveyard in defense mode.

Black Salvo opens its mouth and spits out four mini-bombs. They explode one by one and leave a billow of smoke. "So, with the power of my Black Salvo. I'm bringing back my Trap Reactor•Y FI." Greiger says. Y FI flies out of the smoke. Trap Reactor•Y FI has 1800 attack points. "And now I tune my Black Salvo with my level-four Trap Reactor•Y FI." Says Greiger. Black Salvo dissolves into a small cloud of stars.

"A synchro-summon?!" Yusei asks.

"You're surprised? You're not the only duelist who uses synchro monsters! I give you, Dark Strike Fighter!" Says Greiger. Dark Strike Fighter has 2600 attack points. "And now it's going to attack you directly!" Greiger says.

"Not if I activate my trap card, 'Synchro Spirits'! By removing a synchro monster in my graveyard from play, I can re-summon the monsters that were originally needed to summon it, so I'm taking Junk Warrior out of the duel! Now Junk Synchron and Speed Warrior can return to the field!" Says Yusei. Both in defense mode, Junk Synchron floats forward, takes the attack and isn't destroyed.

"What's this? How did he survive that attack?" Greiger asks.

"By taking Shield Warrior from my graveyard and removing it from play, I can negate all battle damage!" Says Yusei.

"Then I think I'll activate 'Chariot Pile's' effect. The only way for you to negate this damage is to sacrifice your other monster!" Greiger says.

"Well then that's exactly what I'm gonna do!" Says Yusei. Speed Warrior throws itself on the sharp spikes and is destroyed.

"You've got an answer to everything I throw your way, don't you! Well let's see what you do about the 'Ultimate Flare' trap card, which allows me to summon an Ultimate Flare Token!" Greiger says. Ultimate Flare Token has 0 attack points and is a level 10 monster.

"Anyone know what that does?" Asks Leo. "Well let's just say that Yusei's about to get knocked around for another eight hundred points of damage." Tanner says. "And on top of that, Greiger's Fighter can now deal damage equal to two hundred times the level of the released monster, and…" Says Dexter. "And, Ultimate Flare Token is a level ten!" Tanner says. Leo counts on his fingers. "That means uh, well uh..." Says Leo. "Ten times two hundred comes out to two thousand points of damage!" Luna says. "Two thousand?!" Asks both Yanagi and Leo.

"I'm afraid your fate has been sealed, Yusei! There is nothing that you can do to win this turbo-duel now! On my next turn you're finished!" Greiger says.

"Things are looking helpless for Yusei! He's holding no cards in his hand! One monster on the field! Everything depends on his next draw!" Says the announcer.

Greiger comes around a curve.

Yusei and Junk Synchron are not far behind. "Let's do this!" Yusei says. He drew Tuning Supporter. "This should get me where I wanna go. I summon Tuning Supporter in attack mode!" Says Yusei. Tuning Supporter has 100 attack points and is a level 1 monster. "Next, I tune my Junk Synchron to my Tuning Supporter!" Yusei says. Junk Synchron again flies into the sky, its three rings spinning down to align, with cute little Tuning Supporter and its one star. "I synchro-summon, Armory Arm!" Says Yusei. Armory Arm has 1800 attack points.

"You're grasping at straws, Yusei! That monster can't defeat my Dark Strike Fighter!" Greiger says.

"Maybe not, but when Tuning Supporter is used to synchro-summon it enables me to draw another card straight to my hand!" Says Yusei.

"Yusei has managed to squeeze some more life out of his floundering deck!" The announcer says.

"Go Yusei!" Says both Leo and Luna, cheering. "Make this work!" Tanner says. "You can do it!" Says Yanagi.

_"It all comes down to this. If I don't draw the card I need, I'm finished. Here I go. Now if I don't draw the card I need, Greiger's gonna run over the rest of my lifepoints!"_ Yusei thinks to himself. He turns it over, slowly, it's a speed spell. Yusei smiles, just barely.

"Was that a smile? Did I see a smile?" Leo asks.

"I activate, the 'Synchro Return' speed spell card! And as long as I have five or more speed counters, I can use this spell to summon a synchro monster that I removed from play earlier in the duel! So say hello again to my Junk Warrior! Next I activate Armory Arm's special ability!" Says Yusei.

"What?!" Greiger asks.

"Now my Junk Warrior gains a thousand more attack points!" Says Yusei. Junk Warrior puts on the Armory Arm, it now has 3300 attack points. "And with that boost, my Junk Warrior's more powerful than your Dark Strike Fighter! So you know what's next! Junk Warrior, attack!" Yusei says.

Junk Warrior soars down on Dark Strike Fighter, which fires every missile it's got at Junk Warrior, but can't stop it. It's about to try a last-ditch punch, when it finds itself confronted instead with a huge golden clawed hand, which squeezes it down to the size of a tin can and destroys it.

Greiger endures the wind and is down to 1900 lifepoints.

"And next I activate Armory Arm's special ability! And that means that this duel is over! You said that one of us was going to have to lose today and it looks like that someone is you!" Says Yusei.

"Impossible! Aaa-aaagh!" Greiger says. Armory Arm grips him and his runner, as the air around him explodes. Greiger's riding through a blinding world of bright golden light and his lifepoints go to zero. The sides of Greiger's runner burst open, expelling steam and he careens to the side, spinning out, halfway on the side of the track, halfway on the ground. As it comes to a stop, Greiger's thrown off of it.

Yusei rides past.

"He did it!" Says Yanagi, Dexter, Leo and Luna, cheering. "Yeah!" Tanner says. "I knew he could pull it off!" Says Leo. "That was an amazing win!" Yanagi says. "Hey, uh, if the duel's over, how come those spiky things haven't vanished yet?" Asks Dexter. As he pointed out, the 'Chariot Piles' are still there.

Up in the tower. "Well that's too bad." Lazar says. "Yusei will wake up to his abilities as a Signer soon enough. We must be patient." Says Goodwin.

_"It's a good thing you lost, Greiger! Now all Yusei has to do is win one more duel, and then he and I can settle things once and for all!" _Jack thinks to himself. He gets up and walks away. Skylar does the same and follows not too far behind Jack. _"Congratulations, Yusei. You beat Greiger. However, your battle is just beginning." _Skylar thinks to herself.

"That's it, people! After six rounds of white-knuckle action, this duel has roared to a close with a stunning finale! Satellite Shooting Star managed to whip out a come-from-behind win! Take a victory lap, Yusei!" The announcer says.

Yusei comes to a stop near Greiger and looks up, surprised by the request, he doesn't move. "Greiger! Are you okay?" Asks Yusei.

"Come on, Yusei. Give us a…" The announcer says.

Greiger stands up, his voice echoes, with the strength of a microphone behind it. "Yusei. I'm fine. But it's not over." Says Greiger.

Up in the tower. Skylar and Jack, who were both about to leave, stop and turn back to the window.

"What's going on? Turn his mic off!" Lazar says.

"Uh..." Says the announcer. He taps his mic, it's dead. "Olly-olly-oxen! Hello, is this thing even on?" The announcer asks. He taps it again, he's quite dismayed that his mic is gone. "Testing, one two three!" Says the announcer.

"I was hoping to do this differently, but if it needs to be like this, so be it." Greiger says.

"Mm?" Asks Yusei.

"What's he talkin' about?" Leo asks.

"I told you about my village, Yusei. I told you about the fire and the destruction. But I've learned the truth. Goodwin isn't going to help me rebuild my village like he promised! How could he, when it isn't even there anymore!" Says Greiger.

"What do you mean?!" Yusei asks.

"Look!" Says Greiger. He points, with a huge motion to the Sphere. "That was my village!" Greiger says.

Now the Sphere shows a small stone or brick huts and hovels dot the valley.

"Before Goodwin came along." Says Greiger.

"How's he doing that?! Someone turn off the Sphere!" Lazar says. "Let him have his moment." Says Goodwin. "Huh?" Lazar asks.

"I hacked into Goodwin's personal files before the duel, and discovered it wasn't a natural disaster!" Says Greiger.

The landscape of the display shows up on the Sphere.

"Goodwin came along and decided to use our valley as a little testing ground. He tried to resurrect his precious Crimson Dragon, but he couldn't control the energy! It was too powerful! And then…" Greiger says.

A huge flash of white light, stones rise into the air as they break apart.

"He's going to expose everything! We must silence him!" Says Lazar. Goodwin is still calm. "Uh, aren't you concerned?" Lazar asks. "Don't worry. No one's going to believe him." Says Goodwin.

Jack and Skylar are watching this drama play out, his mouth agape.

The image on the Sphere, the explosion turned the whole place into a massive hole in the ground, not even rubble is left.

"The village is gone! Everyone who lived there, all gone! Vanished, nowhere to be found!" Greiger says.

"Greiger, are you sure about all this?" Asks Yusei.

"I saw the files myself. I'm certain about it, Yusei! And now Goodwin's going to answer for all his lies!" Greiger says. He climbs back on his runner and takes off, arcing around Yusei.

"Greiger!" Says Yusei.

"Now that the world knows what you did, it's time for you to pay! For my friends, my family, my home!" Greiger says.

Vision. The village as Greiger remembers it, including the two kids who waved goodbye to him. The vision ends.

Back to the present. "Your ivory tower is about to come crumbling down, Goodwin!" Says Greiger.

Goodwin stands at the window, unafraid, Lazar, beside him, is shocked.

Jack and Skylar stand in the background.

Greiger swerves up onto the bowl of the track, going faster and faster. "Yaaaaaaaah!" Greiger rounds a curve and rides off the top of the bowl into the air, he's launched himself and his runner directly at the tower.

Yusei's also been in motion, heading the opposite direction. "No!" Yusei says. He launches himself the same way, on a course to intercept Greiger.

"Yusei!" Says Greiger.

The two runner's crunch together. Yusei hits one of Greiger's wheels, intercepting without colliding head-on, and one of the chariot piles breaks off under his wheel and goes flying, spinning as it whizzes toward the tower window.

Goodwin turns, sensing danger, the chariot pile crashes through the window, shattering the plate glass. Lazar yells, Goodwin catches the fatally-spinning shrapnel by the drill-like point in his elegantly-gloved left hand, holding it as it spins against his hand, in an impossible feat of strength. Shards of glass are falling through the air in a dangerous shower of sparkles. Lazar throws himself back, away from the deadly object and Goodwin, landing sitting on the floor.

Jack looks on, awed and suspicious, as he actually puts himself in front of all the shattering glass, protecting Skylar from the impact, his back against the glass, his chest facing her, arms wrapped around her, protectively.

Goodwin holds it there and the look on Lazar's face is so horrified it's distorted.

"How're you doing that?" Jack asks.

As he, Skylar and Lazar watch, the friction of the spinning point rips Goodwin's glove apart, revealing a dark gray metal hand underneath. The point stops spinning and Goodwin is still holding it.

Greiger and Yusei land on the track and brake.

An explosion comes from Greiger's runner, but he is already running over to Yusei, grabbing him by the front of his jacket and sitting him up from where he'd slumped after that landing. "Yusei! How could you! I had him!" Says Greiger. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that Goodwin lied and used you. But listen, going after him won't solve anything, or get you your answers!" Yusei says. "What do I do?!" Asks Greiger, in helpless fury. "You trust Skylar and I to figure things out." Yusei says. Greiger lets him go and sits back on his knees. "Goodwin!" Says Greiger, roaring his lungs out.

Up in the tower. Goodwin doesn't seem to hear, at the end of his left arm, in one metallic hand, with a few tatters of glove still clinging to it, he holds the huge metal spike that would have killed anyone else. Goodwin lets it drop and it hits the ground, with a soft clang and lies there, glistening.


	23. Chapter 22

_Chapter 22: The Profiler_

Goodwin is standing opposite of the shattered window of the tower, still holding the spiked missile he caught with his bare hand. Goodwin drops it and steps forward, his face appearing on holoscreens all over the stadium.

Jack and Skylar can see that he's keeping the metallic left hand that caught the projectile, hidden behind his back, neatly. This gives Jack and Skylar a good view of it and they are staring at it.

"People of New Domino City, it's always a terrible tragedy when a gifted duelist like our very own Greiger suffers a complete nervous and emotional breakdown following such an intense duel. But rest assured, he'll get all the help he needs." Goodwin says.

Sayer is leaning against a doorway somewhere in the stadium. _"I can't believe they're eating up all of Goodwin's lies. Here comes that help..." _Sayer thinks to himself.

Looks like 'help' is to the tune of a couple Security grunts. They 'help' Greiger to his feet. "Mr. Goodwin's gonna make sure you get everything you deserve." Greiger turns to Yusei. "Yusei, promise me you and Skylar will take down Goodwin. Once and for all!" Says Greiger.

Yusei nods, gravely.

Stacks and stacks of books. Commander Koda can just barely be seen among them, typing away on a little laptop. "Disciplinary issues in school... Destructive behavior... Telekinetic abilities... Interesting, very interesting…" Koda says, muttering to himself.

Lazar shows up. "Eh, Commander Koda, your duel's starting soon." Says Lazar. A crotchety scholar interrupted. "Will you leave me alone?! I'm still compiling data! I've got eighteen-hundred and seventy-two duels to analyze before I can complete my Black Rose profile!" Koda says. As he's spoken, he's picked up a deck, placed on the table, carefully, and looks at it. "Don't let us down, the Director is counting on you." Says Lazar. "He won't be disappointed, because after I duel the Black Rose, we'll know without a doubt whether she is a Signer or not." Koda says.

Up in the tower. Goodwin is pulling on a neat, white left glove identical to the one that was destroyed. Goodwin turns to Jack and Skylar. "In case you're wondering about my arm, I was in an unfortunate accident several years ago." Says Goodwin.

Somewhere in the back hallways. Akiza is holding her mask in both hands. "You don't need that mask anymore." Opposite of her is Sayer, Akiza looks worried. "But I can't duel without it now. I can't face that crowd." Akiza says. Sayer steps forward and grips her shoulders. "Come on, don't listen to them, Akiza! You're not who they think you are. You have special powers, that's why you joined our group." Says Sayer. He takes the mask, gently. "You're a psychic, not a sorceress. You don't need this mask." Sayer says. Akiza looks at him, slightly bereft without it. "It's time we stopped living in the shadows, Akiza. It's time the world knew about people like us." Says Sayer.

In the Kaibadome, the lights are dark and the match is about to begin. "Welcome back to our second Semi-Final duel! Now entering the arena, the dueling detective, Commander Koda!" The announcer says.

Koda is pinned down by a triple-spotlight and enters the arena, via elevator platform.

"And his opponent, the magician with the moves, the presi-digitator with the plan, the Black Rose!" Says the announcer.

Akiza's entrance is the same.

The crowd. "…Look, the witch is back!" "…Uh, I'm going to the bathroom. Don't save my seat!"

Sayer is watching from his usual doorway.

"Get ready to duel!" The announcer says.

Dexter, Leo, Luna and Yanagi are leaning forward in their seats, anxiously. "Last time she dueled, she almost blew this building down!" Says Leo. "I know, but I'm not scared. In fact, it'd be great if that happened. I haven't done one ounce of homework all week long!" Dexter says. "Hah! I haven't done a day of homework my whole life! And just look, I turned out perfect!" Says Yanagi. Luna isn't listening, her eyes are on the arena. "Mmm..." Luna says, sighing.

Backstage, in a garage somewhere. Yusei is tinkering away on his runner, carefully, when Tanner joins him. "Yusei! The next match is about to start!" Says Tanner. "Sorry. Fixin' my runner comes first." Yusei says. Tanner watches a video screen in the corner, Akiza stands in the arena, hiding her fear, with a frown. "But it's the Black Rose! You think she really is a witch?" Asks Tanner. "No, she's more dangerous than that." Yusei says.

"Let's get this match started!" Says the announcer.

Akiza activates her duel disk.

Koda follows suit.

Both start with 4000 lifepoints. "Let's do this!" Both Koda and Akiza say.

"I hope you don't mind, but ladies first! I summon Violet Witch!" Says Akiza, sweetly and passive-aggressive. Violet Witch has 1100 attack points. "And next up, I'm casting the field spell 'Black Garden' that's in my hand!" Akiza says. Thick vines sprout around her shoes. The vines whip outward, aggressively. Akiza's cards seem to have caught her defensive attitude.

"Well would you look at that. It would seem that our Black Rose happens to have a green thumb, doesn't she?" Asks Koda.

Akiza is silent, facing him across the expanse of her field spell.

Jack, Skylar and Goodwin watch, silently. Goodwin has a sinister smile and Jack has a slight frown. Skylar's focus is completely on the duel. The mass of dark vines is reflected against the windowpane.

"I play a face down. It's your turn!" Akiza says.

"The Black Rose is growing strong with her 'Garden field spell! Will the Commander prune or be pricked!" Says the announcer.

"Not a bad move…" Koda says. He draws. "…ah! But entirely predictable, because I've been studying you, Black Rose. I know your every card, your every move. Your past is a crime scene, and I'm just following the clues until I finally bring you down! So for now I'll just play this and end my turn." Says Koda. He slaps down a face down and does nothing more. Koda's left himself wide-open.

"One card?! But he's dueling a witch! He'll never win playing like that!" The announcer says.

"Tell the man with the mic he'd better think again. This girl is no witch, she has the power of telekinesis! Which means she can move objects with her mind." Says Koda. He points at Akiza. "But that doesn't mean you're above the law! If you think you have power, wait 'til you see what justice has in store for you!" Koda says.

This entire time, Akiza has kept a blank face, emotionless and innocent.

Up in the tower. "He's performing well, don't you think?" Asks Goodwin.

Lazar joins them. "Did you tell Jack that the Commander is the best profiler the Facility has? Ahmhmhmhmhm. He's famous for uncovering the truth, and now that he's dueling we expect a similar result. Mmhmhmhmhm." Lazar says. He then brings his attention towards Skylar because him and Goodwin know something that neither she nor anyone else knows. "Oh, Mr. Goodwin, did you ever tell Skylar about who will be dueling Akiza in the next duel." Says Lazar.

"He doesn't have to tell me. Because I already know that answer. Yusei will be dueling the winner of this match, who will end up being Akiza." Skylar says.

"Actually, it was going to be Yusei. But Mr. Goodwin decided on a much better opponent for this Akiza." Says Lazar.

"And who'll that be?" Jack asks.

"The circumstances is quite simple. If Akiza wins, she duels Yusei next, or she was going to duel him..." Says Lazar.

"What are you talking about?" Both Jack and Skylar ask.

"Oh boy, younger generation. The opponent for Akiza next round won't be Yusei. If the one who takes Yusei's place wins, Yusei still competes against Jack in the final duel, but if Akiza beats that person she duels Jack in the finales." Says Lazar.

"Then who's taking Yusei's place?" Both Skylar and Jack ask.

"Why we're looking right at her, and by her, I mean you, dear Skylar." Says Lazar.

"What?!" Jack asks. "I don't want any part of this." Says Skylar.

"Well too bad, the announcer already knows and will announce it at the end of this duel. You have no choice now. You lose, Yusei loses. Akiza loses and you win, Yusei goes forward to the next duel, as simple as that." Lazar says.

Skylar growls under her breath.

"It's my turn, I draw!" Says Akiza. She chuckles, quietly. "Violet Witch, attack the Commander directly!" Akiza says.

"Aaaaaagh...!"

The spectators lean forward. "Hah!" Says Yanagi, Leo, Luna and Dexter.

Koda is surrounded by billowing smoke and they can barely see him.

"The Commander is down! Witch or not, the Black Rose's attacks still pack a real punch!" The announcer says.

Koda is standing on the field, crookedly, legs braced to keep his balance. Koda's head is bowed. "... Feels just like it did last time, Akiza." Says Koda. He looks at Akiza. "During our match at Duel Academy!" Koda says.

"Huh?!" Asks Akiza.

Backstage. Yusei is momentarily distracted by this revelation. "Huh?" Yusei asks. "Did he just say Duel Academy?" Asks Tanner.

"I've never forgotten, I was a third-year Obelisk Blue. I was all set to turn pro. Then this new girl, a Slifer Red, walks up and challenges me!" Koda says.

Flashback. Akiza and her Violet Witch stand across the field from a huge pink explosion. The entire scene is saturated with purple light. From what can be seen of Akiza, her red boots or shoes and black, thigh-high socks have white stripes around the top, like soccer socks. Akiza's skirt, also black with a white stripe around the bottom, comes to just above her knees. The rest of Akiza is blurred by the explosion.

A younger Koda, his blue blazer turned brown by the light, is thrown backward to the ground, before him stands a small, slim young woman and her monster, wreathed in purple flames. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Your psychic powers destroyed my deck, and almost me along with it! I left pro dueling to study the criminal mind. I've tracked down the most dangerous duelists in New Domino City, but I was saving you for last! And thanks to Goodwin, I've got just the card for my vengeance!" Says Koda.

Akiza keeps her face blank. _"But I was just a child then! I couldn't control my psychic powers!" _Akiza thinks to herself.

"I know you, you think you're better than everyone else! Look at me, I'm Akiza, the telekinetic! Well guess what, it's time for justice! I play my face down trap card, 'Crime and Punishment'! It activated as soon as you attacked me. And now your monster's completely destroyed." Koda says, primly.

Violet Witch disappears in a poof of yellow sparkles. "You've just activated her special ability. If Violet Witch is ever sent to the graveyard, I get to take a plant-type monster from my deck and add it to my hand. It serves you right for confusing justice with revenge! I select, Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!" Says Akiza. Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis has 2200 attack points, 0 defense points and is a fire type monster.

"Akiza, justice is revenge! And your punishment's just beginning! Remember my 'Crime and Punishment' trap card? Well its other effect is to automatically summon a monster from my hand. Like Agent of Hatred! You can think of the two of us as good cop and bad cop." Koda says. Agent of Hatred is a huge nasty worm. As soon as it's summoned, 'Black Garden' wraps it in vines.

"You wanna play in my garden, you gotta pay the price! My field spell cuts your monster's attack points in half!" Says Akiza.

"Not a bad counter-effect! Too bad it doesn't have any attack points for you to take away! I know your deck and how to get around your little tricks." Koda says.

"Then you must've seen this coming, didn't you! Because you summoned Agent of Hatred, I get to summon my own Rose Token! It can't attack, but it can't be destroyed in battle, either! So I guess that leaves us with two monsters that aren't really good for anything." Says Akiza.

Koda adjusts his glasses. "You're wrong again! Hah! I didn't summon my Agent to attack, but to use its special ability. So each round I recover the lifepoints I lost during one of my battles, and that's something your telekinetic powers can't undo! Looks like the Rose has lost her thorns." Koda says. His lifepoints go back up to 4000.

"How can he lose if he keeps getting his lifepoints back?" Asks Leo. "Uh, maybe he can't." Yanagi says. "Mmm..." Says Luna, moaning. "Huh? What's wrong, Luna? Is your arm still bothering you?" Leo asks. It is indeed, she's holding it, quietly, with her left hand. "No, it's um, it's nothing." Says Luna.

"I'm summoning Phoenixian Seed to my field in defense mode! Your last move gave me the idea to play this!" Akiza says. Phoenixian Seed gets wrapped in vines. "See, it doesn't have any attack points to cut in half, either! But a Rose Token is still summoned, and because I summoned the monster, it's going to appear on your side of the field! Now I activate my 'Rose Flame' trap card!" Says Akiza.

The trap card 'Rose Flame' deals five hundred points of damage to your opponent whenever a plant-type monster is summoned onto their field.

"Now let's see your good-cop-bad-cop routine try and handcuff this sweet-smelling maneuver of mine!" Akiza says.

Koda is hit, with a swirling jet of flaming rose petals from the card. "Rrrrgh-aaaaagh!"

Flaming rose petals flutter around Akiza.

Koda sinks to one knee. "Hah. Not bad. I read about that combo the first time you used it, when you were five-years-old." Says Koda.

"Hm?!" Akiza asks.

Sayer stops smiling, instantly, this isn't good.

Koda stands up, he has the upper hand again. "It was your very first duel, when you learned about your curse." Says Koda.

Akiza glares back at him.

Flashback. Purple flames once again turn the whole scene a violent fuchsia. A man in a sweater-vest is slammed back-first against a wall, hard enough to crack it. He stays there, unnaturally suspended.

A young woman watches from the sidelines, in horror, staring at the tiny pink-haired girl in a light pink tank top and lavender skirt with ruffles, as she holds her duel disk at her side, limply, her eyes wide, with bemused fear. A glowing Sign is visible on her right arm and rose petals drift through the air. "Your power was uncontrollable, you couldn't stop. You were a danger to yourself and to others." Koda says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Then your parents sent you away for help, yet you refused to give up the power that you had inside you!" Says Koda.

"I'm learning to control it! I want to use it so that I can help people!" Akiza says, defensively.

Flashback. A red-blazered, dark-haired girl with an activated duel disk on her arm cowers, in fear, as the ground erupts around her, across from her the students near Akiza, the other duelists, react in terror. The teenage Akiza was completely alone. "Help people? You've caused nothing but destruction and pain, including my own! You don't care who your power hurts!" Says Koda, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Akiza looks at her empty hand. "It's not my fault!" Akiza says.

"Incompetence, like ignorance, is no excuse, Akiza!" Says Koda.

"But I'm not looking for excuses..." Akiza says.

"Once this duel is over, I know that you'll thank me for this. My job is to make sure society is safe, and I don't plan on letting society down. I'm going to send you to a special facility to cure you of your afflictions whether you like it or not!" Says Koda.

Akiza is looking down, face hidden, dejected. Akiza remains silent.

"And now…" Koda says. He draws. "…to cure you! I activate 'Mind Monster'! Just think of it as a guessing game. I choose any monster I want, and if you happen to have it, then you lose half its attack points! And if all my research is right, you've got Black Rose Dragon!" Says Koda.

"Huh?!" Akiza asks. Her duel disk opens up and spits out Black Rose Dragon.

"And I hope you've learned by now that my research is always right. Now why don't we give you a taste of your own medicine, Akiza. Black Rose Dragon has twenty-four-hundred attack points, which means you take twelve-hundred points in damage. If ya play with fire, you're gonna get burned!" Says Koda. A facsimile miniature Black Rose Dragon appears on his field and blasts Akiza.

"And the Commander responds with his first attack against the Black Rose!" The announcer says.

The 'Mind Monster' shifts back into its formless jelly state and disappears. "How about that! Twelve-hundred points of damage, and I didn't even need to use any psychic powers! Unlike your spells, I don't need to cheat! Now I switch Rose Token to defense mode and end my turn." Says Koda.

Akiza draws. "You'll wish you never called me a cheat!" Akiza says. She's drawn a trap and stares at it._ "No one understands, I just want a normal life! But I can't have one." _Akiza thinks to herself.

Flashback. A big plume of dust is kicked up somewhere in a back alley or vacant lot. A crowd of onlookers is horrified and so is the person on the opposite side of the dueling field from the Black Rose, then in a long, shapeless maroon dress under her cloak and her hair runs down her back. The mask was the same. _"Destruction always followed me, and the more I ran, the more people I hurt. My only choice was to keep dueling, and hope that I'd find someone who could help me. And I did!" _Akiza thinks to herself, in voice-over.

Flashback continues. Akiza, now alone, took off her mask, forlornly, and suddenly someone held out a hand to her. It's Sayer. "I'm Sayer, and I head the Arcadia Movement. We are a group of duelists, with powers like yours, and we can help you." The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"Sayer gave me strength!" _Akiza thinks to herself.

"Akiza, what're you trying to do, contact your psychic friends? Well they can't help you, you are all mine!" Says Koda.

"Huh?!" Akiza asks.

Sayer is still frowning.

Up in the tower. "If what the Commander said is true and Akiza has gifted friends, she may be even more useful than we thought. There's rumors of a psychic society. If Akiza's in it, she could lead us to even greater power!" Says Lazar.

Jack and Skylar are once again listening, and look a bit startled by what they're hearing.

"You may know about my friends and my deck, but you don't know what's really inside me. You cannot profile someone's heart! And while that's sinkin' in, I'm activating this! Phoenixian Seed's special ability! By sending this card straight to my graveyard, I can now summon my other Phoenixian monster directly from my hand! Cluster Amaryllis!" Akiza says. It appears and vines wrap around a few of its slender stalks.

"The Black Rose's new monster sprouts to the field, but it won't escape her 'Black Garden' field spell! Amaryllis loses half its power, and the Commander gets a new Rose Token! And you know what that means, the 'Rose Flame' trap instantly activates. Is it me, or is it gettin' hot in here!" Says the announcer.

"Aaagh!"

"Commander! I don't need psychic powers to tell me what to do next! Amaryllis, attack his Rose Token!" Akiza says.

"Uuuugh!" The Commander's lifepoints stand at 2700, by now his trim gray suit is covered with rips, smudges and scorch marks.

Amaryllis goes up in flames. "Amaryllis is automatically destroyed, but its special ability activates! I'm sure you know what happens now. The card goes to the graveyard, and you take eight hundred points of damage. Now surely your research should've told you that this was coming!" Says Akiza.

"It'll take a lot more than wilting flowers to beat me!" Koda says. Nevertheless, he falls down and lies on the ground, 1900 lifepoints remaining.

"Don't forget, due to the Commander's Agent of Hatred, he gets back the points he lost this round!" Says the announcer.

The Commander's lifepoints increase back to 2200, he gets to his feet again. "You will not defeat me, Akiza! No matter how many times you attack, I won't rest until I make sure that you never hurt anyone again and once I win, you're going to that special facility and once you're there they will dispatch you of your power!" Koda says.

"Well I don't plan on losing today! Now I play a face down! But don't draw just yet, because I can re-summon Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis from my graveyard in defense mode!" Says Akiza. It gets wrapped in vines.

"Black Rose gets her monster back, but the field spell gives the Commander another Rose Token!" The announcer says.

"Which means my trap activates again!" Says Akiza. More flaming rose petals.

"Ouch! It's another fiery finish from the Black Rose!" The announcer says.

The Commander is still standing, now thoroughly mussed, scratched and scorched at 1700 lifepoints left. "You're asking for it, Akiza! And now you're about to get it! I knew you'd fill my field with Rose Tokens, it's what I wanted! Now I can sacrifice them to summon my own monster, the Mad Profiler!" Says Koda. Mad Profiler has 2600 attack points, 1600 defense points and is a level 8 monster.

Mad Profiler's special ability allows you to send one card in your hand to the graveyard to remove the same type of card on the field from play.

"I'm sure you noticed the professional resemblance, since we're both in the same business of making sure you never hold a dueling deck again." Koda says.

"What a move! But that doesn't mean the Mad Profiler escapes Black Rose's field spell! But this time the Token's on Akiza's side of the field!" Says the announcer.

_"You're doing everything I knew you would, Akiza! I got a little singed in the process, but vengeance is mine!" _Koda thinks to himself. "Now I'll tap into my Mad Profiler's special ability! So by sending a spell card to the graveyard, I can remove any other spell card from the game. I've got just the one in mind..." Koda says. The spell he discards is 'Reload'.

'Black Garden' suddenly glows green and vanishes. Akiza looks around, startled and off-balanced.

"He got rid of the 'Black Garden' field spell!" Says Leo. "And now all the monsters will get back their attack points that were cut in half!" Dexter says.

"My Profiler can work with more cards than just spells. I can send a monster card to the graveyard to destroy any one of your monsters." Says Koda. He does so, discarding Mind on Air and Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis vanishes. "Agh! That evens things up!" Koda says. He's starting to get crazy at this point. "Now whaddayou say we battle, Mad Profiler, attack! Take out her Rose Token with Mad Dash Destruction!" Says Koda.

Mad Profiler runs forward, clearly the crazy eyes are explained by large amounts of caffeine, as he's running like crazy. He throws the book at Akiza's Rose Token and she shields her face against the ensuing blast of wind. Akiza has 1000 lifepoints left.

"Now that, that token is out of the way. I think it's time for me to end this duel, and put you away for good!" Koda says.

Up in the tower. "The Black Rose can't keep this up for long. It's just a matter of time before the Commander pushes this girl to her limits and activates her Signer power." Says Lazar.

"Next up I play my equip spell, and it goes by the name 'Destruction Insurance'." Koda says.

In the garage. "I heard about that new card. Once you equip it to a monster, if your opponent destroys it, they lose half its attack points! Looks like the Commander got the prototype." Says Tanner. He looks at Yusei, who's watching the duel. "And with Black Rose down to her last few attack points, if she takes out Mad Profiler, she takes herself out as well! Magic or not, that girl is gone." Tanner says.

"Now I activate a second equip spell, 'Light Law Protection'!" Says Koda.

In the garage. "Whoa, another protection spell. His card's totally safe. Now, if she changes its attack points, like with the special ability of one of her other cards, then that card is destroyed. Not even her Black Rose Dragon can save her now, Yusei." Tanner says. Yusei opens the front hood of the runner and it expels steam. Yusei looks back at Tanner, dead serious. "Don't be so sure, Tanner." Says Yusei.

"And now it's my turn! And I summon Twilight Rose Knight!" Akiza says. Twilight Rose Knight has 1000 attack points. "My combo won't be a surprise. After all, aren't you the profiler who spent the last few years studying me? Instead of offering to help, you treat me like a monster. So all I can do is answer with a monster of my own, I combine my Knight with two Rose Tokens to synchro-summon Black Rose Dragon!" Says Akiza.

In the garage. Yusei's mark starts glowing, instantly. Yusei grips his arm, fighting to stay quiet.

In the stadium. Black rose petals blow with the powerful wind. Black Rose Dragon appears on the field, towering above Koda and his heavily-protected Profiler.

"There is nothing you can do that will surprise me! I know your each and every move! Just face it, Black Rose. You can't win!" Koda says, hysterically.

The metal curler that is rolled into the top of Akiza's hair unravels and falls to the ground, hitting the arena floor with a tinny, echoing clink. Akiza is glowing with reddish energy, her long bangs are floating around her face. "It's about more than winning. It's about finding your place in the world. And I know where I belong." Says Akiza, her voice echoing. She looks at him, furious and defiant. "I'm through hiding behind a mask! I'm going to show everyone in this arena my true powers and win this duel!" Akiza says.

"Good luck! Because as long as I've got my equip spells and lineup of monsters, I'm untouchable!" Says Koda.

"The Commander's right. Psychic? Witch? It doesn't matter, the Black Rose can't get to 'im! What will she do?!" The announcer says.

"I activate Black Rose Dragon's special ability! If I take a plant-type monster from my graveyard and remove it from play, then your monster's attack points go to zero!" Says Akiza.

Black Rose Dragon's violet-glowing vines wrap around the Mad Profiler, strangling him.

"Hagh! That's what I was waiting for! Now my equip spell activates! And because you used Black Rose Dragon's special ability, my 'Light Law Protection' automatically destroys it!" Koda says.

A bolt of light races up one of the strangling vines and pierces Black Rose Dragon through the throat, it rears and explodes, lighting up the entire stadium.

Below, Akiza shields her face, a sorrowful survivor. One of the arms Akiza's holding up begins to glow, with a claw-shaped Sign.

Yusei's friends in the stands lean forward, stunned.

In the garage. Yusei is still gripping his arm, looking up at the duel.

Up in the tower. Jack and Skylar both have a hand to their arms also, the latter also clutching at her legs. "She's a Signer!" Says Jack.

At the Ener-D Reactor, even Zigzix is getting a reading. "We've captured her Ener-D! I can pay my student loans!" Zigzix says.

Up in the tower. "Excellent, three down and only three more to go." Says Lazar.

Akiza's side of the field is a wasteland of flame. Akiza is barely visible within this holocaust, emerging from the fire. "A nice spell, but I still have my trap card 'Rose Curse'! You spent so much time studying my past that you never even stopped to look at the person I've become!" Akiza says.

The rose petals begin to encircle Koda, he looks around, starting to panic.

"And because of that, your lifepoints are now going to suffer for your narrow-mindedness!" Says Akiza.

The petals are swirling faster and faster, the Commander is really starting to get scared now.

"My 'Rose Curse' is a new card, one you could never profile!" Akiza says.

The Commander begins to scream.

"I'm sorry, but you brought this upon yourself!" Says Akiza.

The rose petals begin to rip chunks out of the arena floor, whipping through the air around the Commander and out into the audience, too, everyone ducks and cowers. By now, the wind has drowned out the Commander's screams of terror. The Commander is now obscured by a towering tornado of red.

Then it stops and the petals fall downward, gently, disappearing as they do. They're still floating through the air over what remains of Commander Koda, who is embedded in a Koda-shaped crater in the arena floor, face down, his suit torn and ripped.

"It's over! The Black Rose is our winner!" The announcer says.

"I didn't see that coming..." Says Koda, weakly.

"She'll move onto the finals to take on Skylar Alektra!" The announcer says.

Akiza's Sign fades from her arm and she noticed the change of the names of who she will soon verse.

Up in the stands. Sayer is smiling. _"Another fine victory. You have grown. You're learning to control your powers, and I hope you can do the same against Skylar. I have a feeling that she'll be the biggest test that you have ever faced." _Sayer thinks to himself.

In the garage. Tanner watches Akiza through the monitor. "I can't say that I envy you, Yusei. That Black Rose is a one-woman wrecking machine! Huh! And did they say Skylar instead of your name, I thought you were supposed to duel against her tonight?" Asks Tanner. Yusei is still gripping his right arm. "You're tellin' me. I think Goodwin has something up his sleeve again. I guess Skylara's going to be dueling for me." Yusei says. "Can she truly duel though Yusei? Do you think Skylara has what it takes to beat her?" Asks Tanner. "Let us hope so. Tonight's match might be her most dangerous duel yet." Yusei says. He's now concerned for his half-twin sister's very life. _"I just hope Skylara can control the power of her deck, and her own Signer powers." _Yusei thinks to himself.


	24. Chapter 23

_Chapter 23: Duel Of The Dragons: Part 1_

The exterior of the Kaibadome. "What an amazing duel, ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer says.

The interior corridor. Skylar is walking down the hallway, as the announcer speaks over a speaker somewhere.

As does Akiza.

"After picking apart Commander Koda, the Black Rose will now be moving on to face the Kaibadome's very own Princess of Darkness, Skylar Alektra, in the Fortune Cup's final battle!" Says the announcer, via-speaker.

At a four-way intersection, the two duelists nearly run into each other. "Who will win? Who will go home? Stay tuned to find out!" The announcer says, via-speaker.

The two imminent opponents lock eyes and stop, faces about a foot and a half away. Skylar and Akiza appear to be the same height, 5'4". Akiza gasps, recognizing Skylar's emerald green eyes from their last encounter. "Everything alright, Akiza?" Asks Skylar. "I'm fine!" Akiza says, defensively. She clutches her right arm. Skylar doesn't buy it, glancing down at the motion.

Flashback. The cloaked Black Rose reacted with shock, then moved to defend herself and fled in a blast of light. "Your arms! You also have marks! Stay away from me!" Says Black Rose. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Skylar holds at her own right arm and meets Akiza's brown eyes again. "So, what is your deal with these marks of ours? When you saw mine the other day, you really freaked out." Skylar says. "Yeah, well this mark has brought me nothing but pain! So what good can come from having another one around? You got that? It's dangerous. So just keep away!" Says Akiza. "You don't think mine didn't, Akiza. I know you got this Sign at a young age. Well, I was born with mine. You think its difficult trying to control your powers? Well, try stepping into my boots and see whose life is worse. I grew up in the Satellite Sector, you didn't. I would take your miserable life over mine any day if I could." Skylar says. "Well, you can't. So, you just continue the life you have and I'll continue mine. So like I said, just keep away." Says Akiza.

"Skylar!" Leo says, yelling. "There you are!" Says Luna. She and Leo come running up from the same direction Skylar came from, stopping and joining the conversation. "We need you to settle an argument, huh? The witch!" Leo says. Akiza glares down at them. "Leo, she isn't a witch." Says Skylar. "Sorry, force of habit." Leo says. Luna is unnerved to meet Akiza's eyes and not just because she looks annoyed. Akiza looks aside. "Huh?" Asks Luna. Skylar is glaring at Akiza.

"What's going on back here?" Lazar asks. He has approached from behind Skylar, to the right of the hallway she came from. "Everybody getting along nicely? Quite the duel just now, Miss. Akiza, very impressive. Before the final round gets underway, Director Goodwin has a few things he'd like to talk to you about. I'd say more, but it's confidential. Why don't you come with me, and we'll…" Says Lazar.

"Akiza must rest." Sayer says. Akiza gasps. Sayer, flanked by two goons, has arrived from the same hallway Akiza approached from. "And you are...?" Asks Lazar. The two goons step in front of Akiza, a wall between him and her, Sayer is standing to the side. "Don't play dumb, Lazar. Your reputation precedes you. We both know you don't like surprises, so let's not waste time pretending you haven't done your homework, like I have." Sayer says. He then brings his attention to Skylar, they are now glaring at each other. The tension can be felt between them. Sayer suddenly smiles, possibly amused and impressed that Skylar's gaze isn't backing down from his, but she doesn't flinch at his amused and impressed looking smile. "Ah-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm! I feel that it is my duty to warn you, mister. No duelist, or whatever you are, is allowed to so much as touch Miss. Alektra. This is under Director Goodwin's authority. If you so much as do so, you will be escorted out of the arena." Says Lazar. "I see, Goodwin is very protective of his little pet. Yet he leaves you to fight his duels." Sayer says. "Let me tell you something. As of right now, Goodwin's authority is still in affect over me. However, when it comes down to the duel, that whole 'little pet thing' shall be completely thrown out the window." Says Skylar. "Well, well. I see the Princess of Darkness has quite a bit of bark in her, doesn't she? I wonder if you have enough bite to back it up. I guess, we shall see then, won't we?" Sayer asks. "Just stick around and watch the duel and you shall see just how much I can back up my words. After all when I am dueling, the darkness is my greatest ally while it is my opponent's worst nightmare." Says Skylar, menacingly. "Is that so? Well, I'll be looking forward to the duel." Sayer says. He then brings his attention back towards Lazar and now keeps a straight face. "As for you, stay away from Akiza. And tell the Director she's not interested in what he has to say. Now excuse us..." Says Sayer. He raises a hand, his two goons, Akiza and himself leave in procession, past Lazar. Skylar watches as they walk past her, scowling with suspicion. Akiza doesn't even look back.

"Well. The Director will not be pleased with this at all." Lazar says. "What is the story? Goodwin, what does he want with Akiza?" Asks Skylar. "Did you not get the memo? I could've sworn we meant to keep you posted. So sorry about that. Hm." Lazar says, in dripping sarcasm. He walks away down the fourth, a yet unused hallway, smugly.

Akiza and her 'entourage' are also still walking away down the other corridor.

Skylar watches them go. "That Akiza creeps me out." Says Leo. "She seems so sad..." Luna says. "Is something wrong?" Asks Skylar. Luna, too, is holding at her right forearm. "Um, my arm kinda stings or something. Whenever that girl looks at me, I feel all weird and stuff." Luna says. Skylar looks at her, concerned, this is no coincidence. Skylar sighs.

Outside, in the parking lot as the sun sets, two large carrier trucks, fancy, futuristic and marked with a logo that reads AM, surrounded by more faceless Arcadia goons spaced at regular intervals around them, standing guard.

Inside one of these, Akiza is ensconced in something that resembles a virtua-pod, the metal thing is out of her hair, though the hair curls around itself where the inhibiting device is supposed to be. Akiza's in a red undershirt and a shimmering liquid of some kind covers the pod from the chest down. Akiza gazes into space through a glass visor overhead, serenely. A holographic screen appears on the glass, startling Akiza out of her reverie, it's Sayer. "Akiza, about earlier, look, it's just, we've exposed the Movement by coming to this tournament, and people will want to know more. We knew the risk going into this. In fact, certain individuals may continue to approach you and try to pry information from you." Says Sayer, via-screen. "Okay, but I can speak for myself. I don't need you to babysit me or anything, Sayer! I'm not going to betray the Movement, if that's what you're worried about. You guys are like my family now, no one could ever make me turn against all of you." Akiza says. "I'm so relived to hear you say that. Goodwin and his people are part of the Order of Yliaster…" Says Sayer, via-screen.

As he speaks, a vision appears of the Crimson Dragon spreading its wings over a benighted city, its draconic eyes glowing yellow. "A group seeking to resurrect a force known as the Crimson Dragon. If allowed to return, the Dragon will bring the world to its knees. That's where we come in. He Who Rules The Sky has given the members of the Arcadia Movement special powers." Sayer says, via-screen.

The outside of the van is emblazoned 'AM'. "We are his chosen. We will stop Goodwin and lead the world down the right path." Says Sayer, via-screen.

"Sounds like a good time." Akiza says. "Yes, well, speaking of time, it's almost time for your duel with Skylar." Says Sayer, via-screen. Akiza's right arm, now visible beneath the surface and carrying a dark, burned claw Sign, twitches unconsciously. "She might be a member of Yliaster, we're not sure yet. Either way, it is crucial that you defeat her. Once you get through this Princess of Darkness, you can bring Jack Atlas to his knees, and then the crowd's jeers will change to cheers and our time will finally come. You're ready, aren't you?" Sayer asks, via-screen. Akiza nods. "Of course." Says Akiza. Sayer's screen disappears._ "And maybe then I can rid myself of this power I possess..." _Akiza thinks to herself.

Rapid fire flashbacks. Young girl Akiza, Sign glowing on her arm and bemusement in her eyes, slams her opponent, a full-grown man, against a wall, surrounded by violet flames, while a spectator looks at her, in shock.

Change flashback. Commander Koda as a teen at Duel Academy is thrown to the ground before teenage Akiza and her Violet Witch, purple flames at their backs.

Change flashback. Skylara and Yusei stand in the ruins of the street duel field, Signs glowing on their forearms, as they stare at Black Rose. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. The sight of Skylara and Yusei's Signs are still reflected in her eyes. Akiza pulls her arm from the liquid and looks at her Sign. _"Why did this mark choose me?! What did I do to deserve it?! I must find a way to rid myself of its control before it's too late!" _Akiza thinks to herself. She grips her arm, teeth clenched, face working, in terror and fury.

Backstage. Skylar is seated on a couch. The screen in front of Skylar shows the stadium, the Sphere is showing an image of Akiza. Skylar looks at her deck, holding it in her hand._ "Akiza. With the power of my deck, I know I can help you overcome the hate and anger you feel. However, first I have to figure out why you don't want to be helped." _Skylar thinks to herself. She looks at her right arm, her Sign hidden by her glove and sleeve. _"You say you are afraid of me because of my mark, because your mark has caused you nothing but pain."_ Skylar thinks to herself.

She thinks of the twins, the Black Rose, masked and cloaked, Jack, looking down at her, protecting her, Yusei, when him and her first met after three years of being apart. _"However, whatever these marks are, they connect all of us somehow..." _Skylar thinks to herself, in voice-over.

Goodwin, smiling shrewdly, as he stands at the tower window._ "And I am sure Goodwin knows why." _Skylar thinks to herself, in voice-over.

Akiza, Sayer and his goons walking up behind her. _"And something tells me those characters who hang around you know what is going on, as well." _Skylar thinks to herself, in voice-over. Skylar glares as she watches them leave. _"Everyone is out to use us somehow, and we can't let that happen. We have got to come together, like a team or something." _Skylar thinks to herself, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Skylar is watching the screen, which now shows an image of the Black Rose, fully cloaked and masked. _"That includes you, Akiza. I have got to use our duel to remove that mask you are hiding behind. And remove my own mask, as well. However, in order to do that, I have to figure you out." _Skylar thinks to herself. The screen shifts to show Akiza's face, her slight frown forbidding. _"Who you are, what makes you tick?" _Skylar thinks to herself. She takes a card out of her deck and looks at it, Cynder the Black Dragon. _"I don't want to have to go full-force. However, if it means tearing down that wall you have built around yourself, I shall do it. And, then, after this battle, I need to get Jack on our side, as well." _Skylar thinks to herself. The screen now shows Jack. _"This shall be my final duel as Skylar Alektra. After this duel, Skylara Galatea shall return for good." _She thinks to herself. Skylar adds Cynder the Black Dragon back into her deck.

Fireworks burst above the stadium, as Sayer watches the view on TV, the camera is somewhere across the ocean from the stadium, showing it and the New Domino skyline from afar. The door beeps and opens. "Huh?" Sayer asks.

Akiza walks through the doorway and stops. "It's time, Sayer." Says Akiza.

Sayer walks over, picks a bit of lint off of her sleeve and smooths the hair around the energy stabilizer now once more styled into it. "If you find yourself at a point where you feel like your power is going to take over, just remember that this energy stabilizer in your hair will limit your powers. The fate of the world is in your hands. We're all counting on you, Akiza." Sayer says. Akiza spots the mask she wears as the Black Rose sitting on the coffee table. "What about my mask?" Asks Akiza. "Take it, but you won't need it." Sayer says.

More fireworks.

The Sphere is showing graphics of Cynder the Black Dragon and Black Rose Dragon.

The crowd is jeering, cheering and catcalling in anticipation of the match, most of it anti-Akiza. "…Beat the freak!" "…This is a tournament, not a creep-fest!" "…Nobody likes you, witch!" Skylar's circle is unnerved by the crowd. "My goodness, they say such mean things. Why're kids so cruel? She's just a child!" Says Yanagi. "People don't understand her special abilities, and when people don't understand something they see, they tend to be afraid of it." Tanner says. "So, if everyone's so afraid of her, why are they here to watch her duel?" Asks Leo. "That's easy, Leo. They're all hopin' that she'll lose. See, when people are afraid of something, they don't like to be alone. So sometimes, they'll band together, hoping to see that something feel bad, which makes them feel good." Tanner says. The hundreds of sickeningly eager, identical faces in the crowd seem to transform into beings with glowing red eyes and cruel smiles. Dexter and Leo are looking up at the crowd, nonplussed. "Wow, talk about seeing the glass half-empty, Tanner." Says Dexter. Luna is looking at the floor, worriedly.

The Sphere shows Akiza, out from which Lazar and Goodwin in the top tower, the window is still broken. "I tried to bring the girl to you, Director, but that Arcadia bunch wouldn't let her out of their sights. They may prove to be a problem down the road." Lazar says. "Hmph. I'm not worried about those deluded fools. It's not like they have very much influence. Still, they did manage to make her their puppet. The situation is ironic, if you think about it." Says Goodwin. A holographic screen pops up in front of Jack, who's sitting on the couch with his arms folded, he may have called it up himself. In it, Jack can see Akiza, being escorted through the halls to her match by a pair of Arcadia goons. "The Black Rose is a member of the Arcadia Movement. The Arcadia Movement opposes us. And yet, she's going to do us a favor." Goodwin says. A screen with some graphics and readouts on it appears in front of him. "According to Zigzix's readings, she's more than capable of getting Skylar to reveal her true power. That being said, I do hope Skylar manages to win this duel." Says Goodwin. Jack is gazing at him, sourly. The screen vanishes. Jack's has also. "I want to see it, Lazar. Don't you?" Goodwin asks.

Flashback. Archfiend breathes a stream of flame and Stardust answers with a mist of bright blue-white light. Cynder is attacking both of them. The three blasts collide in mid-air and the center of the explosion grows, slowly. "Don't you want to see Jack's Red Dragon Archfiend clash with Yusei's Stardust Dragon again?" Asks Goodwin, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I want to witness the energy such a clash creates! I want to feel the power!" Goodwin says. "Huh! I'll make you feel so much power you won't be able to handle it." Says Jack. _"Skylar..." _Jack thinks to himself.

Skylar is waiting, ready to enter the arena.

Akiza is walking through the halls with her escort.

_"You may think you're an incredible duelist, but this Black Rose has a power unlike anything you've ever encountered. And be sure not to lose, 'cause I want to see Goodwin's face. When I use the Dragon's power for myself!" _Jack thinks to himself. Goodwin gazes back at him with a smile, oblivious to his thoughts.

The announcer puts a foot up on the desk, as the stadium goes dark. "Yeah! It's finally time for the final! The winner of this next match gets to go on to the ultimate showdown…" The announcer says.

The Sphere shows an image of Jack.

"A one-on-one, no-holds-barred duel with the Master of Faster himself, Jack Atlas!" Says the announcer.

On the Sphere, flames wash over the graphic of Jack and transition to Akiza.

"Our first finalist is the mysterious Black Rose, Akiza!" The announcer says.

Smoke-cannons go off, shooting four columns of it into the air. Akiza enters the arena, via-elevator platform.

"…Go home, witch!" "…You're gonna lose, you freak!"

"Challenging her is the Princess of Darkness from our very own Kaibadome, Skylar Alektra!" Says the announcer.

Same smoke-cannons, Skylar faces Akiza, glaring fearlessly. The stadium lights up.

Up in the stands. "Come on, Skylar. You can do it!" Leo says. "Bring it on!" Says Dexter. "This'll be exciting!" Yanagi says. "Be careful. Very careful." Says Tanner.

Kuribon appears to Luna. _"Huh? So you're scared too, Kuribon? Something bad is going to happen, isn't it?" _Luna thinks to herself.

Sayer is once more leaning against a wall in a shadowy entrance to the stands. "_Akiza, this is our moment. Seize this opportunity, and introduce the world to the true power of the Arcadia Movement." _Sayer thinks to himself.

Goodwin, Lazar and Jack await the match, silently.

"Every card has led us to this moment! The final round of the Fortune Cup is about to begin!" The announcer says.

Jack is scowling.

Akiza is determined.

Skylar is more determined.

And Luna is worried.

"Let's do this!" Says both Akiza and Skylar.

The sphere has a graphic of Akiza and Skylar. All of the screens around the edges of the stadium skyline, on which the Eight introduced, alternate, half shows Akiza, the other half Skylar.

"And now, get ready for the final round of the Fortune Cup!" The announcer says.

"Hope you're ready!" Says Akiza.

Both draw five cards, simultaneously, 4000 lifepoints each.

"The first move is mine! I draw! I summon Wall of Ivy in defense mode!" Akiza says. Wall of Ivy has 1200 defense points. "Next, I place one card face down and end my turn!" Says Akiza.

"My move, then. And I counter by playing Warnado in attack mode!" Skylar says. Warnado has 900 attack points, 400 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is a wind type monster. "On the turn Warnado is summoned, its attack points are doubled!" Says Skylar. That is 1800. "Warnado, shred that Wall of Ivy!" Skylar says.

"You had better be careful, Skylar. Because when my Ivy Wall is destroyed, one of my Ivy Tokens takes root on your side of the field!" Says Akiza.

"We've seen the Black Rose use this strategy before, it really created problems for Commander Koda and Sir Ransborg! What kind of havoc will she wreak on Skylar?" The announcer asks.

Skylar is eyeing her ivy sprout. "These could be a problem. It is your move." Says Skylar.

"You're too kind. Now then! Remember that last round, when I summoned Wall of Ivy only to have you tear it down with your Warnado? Well, I'm playing the 'Cursed Ivy' trap card to bring my Wall of Ivy back! In case you can't tell, I've got kind of a green thumb. Oh, and by the way, I really should thank you, 'cause 'Cursed Ivy' gets powered up by my Ivy Wall. So now it's stronger than it was before." Akiza says, drolly.

_"I know what she is doing. She is trying to increase the number of Ivy Tokens on my field. Because when that little sprout gets destroyed, I shall take three hundred points of damage. And if she gets more on my field…"_ Skylar thinks to herself.

"You gonna stand around and think, or are you gonna duel!" Says Akiza. Her face is on the Sphere as she speaks that last.

Then the announcer's face replaces Akiza's, as he narrates, suspenseful, with his microphone. "It's been a relatively mellow duel so far. Even the crowd seems to have simmered down a bit, but, could we simply be experiencing the calm before the storm?" The announcer asks.

The crowd has calmed down, but Skylar's friends look worried.

"My move! And I am sending Warnado to my graveyard, in order to summon my Prism Break!" Says Skylar. Prism Break has 1200 attack points. "And due to my Prism Break's special ability, it now gains the attack points of my Warnado! Looks like your Wall of Ivy is about to get uprooted!" Skylar says.

"And it looks like another Ivy Token is about to shoot up on your side of the field!" Says Akiza.

"Prism Break, attack!" Skylar says.

"By destroying my Wall of Ivy, you've also taken out the 'Cursed Ivy' trap card, and when my 'Cursed Ivy' is sent to the graveyard, it summons two more ivy tokens to your side of the field!" Says Akiza.

_"Man, these things are growing out of control!" _Skylar thinks to herself.

"You got anything else for me?" Akiza asks.

"No. I am done for now." Says Skylar.

"That's disappointing. I draw! And from my hand, I'm activating the 'Seed of Deception' spell card!" Akiza says.

'Seed of Deception' is a spell card that lets you special-summon a level-two-or-below plant-type monster from your hand.

"So with the power of this spell card, I summon out Dark Verger in attack mode! But now I'm gonna do a little landscaping to make room for something stronger! Ha! I advance-summon Rose Tentacles in attack mode!" Says Akiza. Rose Tentacles has 2200 attack points. "The best thing about roses, is that their thorns are as dangerous as their petals are beautiful! And you're about to experience that firsthand! Go, Rose Retaliation!" Akiza says.

It destroys Prism Break, a huge wind whips up suddenly. Skylar shields her face.

The people in the crowd scream and cower in their seats.

Skylar lowers her arm just enough to see, braced to shield herself again. Skylar's lifepoints are now 3900.

"Skylar only took one hundred points of damage from that attack, but I've got a feeling that the Black Rose's strategy is about to blossom into something far more terrifying!" Says the announcer.

"That attack was only the beginning, so get ready for my Rose Tentacles' special ability to squeeze you into submission! Now you take damage for the four Ivy Tokens on your field! This might hurt!" Akiza says.

Hearing and seeing people in the crowd, as the announcer speaks, looking down at the field.

Akiza's ready to attack with Rose Tentacles and Skylar faces her down with four Rose Tokens.

"…That's some move." "…So she's gonna attack four times?"

Akiza is amplified on the Sphere. "This is the part of the battle that I enjoy the most, because now I get to watch the power of my Rose Tentacles and Ivy Tokens bleed your lifepoints dry!" Says Akiza.

"Incredible! Akiza's managed to plant four Ivy Tokens on Skylar's field, which means she can unleash a quadruple dose of destruction! And with each attack, Skylar's gonna take six hundred lifepoints of damage!" The announcer says.

Most of the people in the section of the stadium stand up.

"Whoa! It looks like the fans are running for the exits! And who could blame them, especially after witnessing the Black Rose's destructive powers in her last two duels! I wouldn't wanna be in Skylar's boots right now!" Says the announcer.

"Oh, no!" Leo says. "Well, guys, nice knowin' ya." Says Yanagi. "We should take cover." Tanner says. They all duck behind the seats.

"Let's see if people keep picking on me after this! Get ready, Skylar!" Says Akiza.

A vine from Rose Tentacles whips out, shatters an Ivy Token, smacks Skylar for six hundred, leaving her 3300 remaining, and wraps around her right arm, she struggles against its grip.

The few remaining in the crowd cower in the foot space in front of their chairs, yelling in panic.

"Here's one more! Attack!" Akiza says.

Another vine comes shooting toward Skylar, shatters another Token and grips her right thigh. 2700 lifepoints left. There might even be some fear in Skylar's eyes, her tense face covers the Sphere, right in front of the top box.

Up in the tower. "We finally have someone who can push Skylar to her limits. I'm getting some popcorn! Anyone interested?" Asks Lazar.

Goodwin ignores him, gazing down at the match. Jack looks sour, probably at the suggestion Skylar might lose.

Sayer, down in the stadium, hasn't moved._ "That's right, Akiza. Take all of that loneliness and suffering you've endured. Use it. There's no need to be afraid." _Sayer thinks to himself.

Skylar's group, now among few left in their seats, have peeked their heads up again. Luna hasn't, she's cowering with her hands clasped. "Rrrr, is she okay?" Leo asks. Luna's eyes are squeezed shut._ "Please! Hang in there, Skylara!" _Luna thinks to herself.

"You're not giving in yet?! Well maybe this'll change your mind!" Says Akiza.

Another vine, shatters a Token and wraps around Skylar's left thigh. 2100 lifepoints. Skylar keeps struggling against the vines._ "I don't even think she cares about winning. There is something else driving her! I know the world has been cruel to you because of the mark you have, Akiza. However, you have to realize that retaliating won't do anybody any good!" _Skylar thinks to herself.

Akiza is panting, somewhat winded. "I'm gonna enjoy this! Now ataaaaaack!" Akiza says.

The fourth vine shoots forth, takes out the last Token and encircles Skylar's waist and left arm above her duel disk, squeezing, tightly, and lifts her into the air, slowly. Skylar continues to strain against the vines, but to no avail.

"Look at you up there! Helpless and alone! No one can help you and no one wants to!" Says Akiza.

Skylar opens an eye and stares at her, pretending to struggle as she listens.

"Now you know what it feels like to be me in this cruel, cold world!" Akiza says.

Skylar looks closer and spots a sinister smile on her face. _"She is smiling. She is actually enjoying my pain!" _Skylar thinks to herself. The vine jerks suddenly. "Huh?" Asks Skylar. The vine smashes her to the ground. The wind is blowing again.

Those spectators still remaining duck behind the seats. Tanner, Leo and Dexter are shielding their faces with both of their arms.

Skylar's side of the field is obscured by a cloud of dust.

"Whoa! Akiza's attack has the stadium in panic! The place is in complete chaos! Just like we thought, Akiza is…" The announcer says.

One of the scared fans finishes the open statement. "…A witch!" "…It's true!" "…That girl's a witch!" "…Cheater!" "…She's dangerous!"

As the dust clears, Skylar rises to her feet, wincing and shaking slightly, legs braced to stay standing. Skylar's lifepoints sink further to 1500. Skylar draws. "Akiza, I want to help you. I want to be your friend, and I am going to use every card I have to prove it to you. And I shall start by playing Terrafin in defense mode." Says Skylar. Terrafin has 800 attack points, 1600 defense points, is a level 3 monster and is an earth type monster. "Next, I place two cards face down and end my turn." Skylar says.

Akiza is breathing heavily, a maniacal look in her eyes.

"I think I understand it now. What makes you tick, Akiza. Because of all that people have put you through, you enjoy it." Says Skylar.

"Enjoy what?!" Akiza asks.

"You enjoy people's misery! You like how it makes people feel! You like how it makes you feel." Says Skylar.

"You're right. And for the rest of this duel, I really plan on enjoying myself!" Akiza says.

Skylar's friends are nervous. Luna, worried.

Sayer, triumphant.

Goodwin, watching and Jack, hawk-like.

The field from Skylar's left corner, against a background of that sinister smile and the mask of the Black Rose.


	25. Chapter 24

_Chapter 24: Duel of the Dragons: Part 2_

What remains of the crowd watches, intently, including Tanner, Yanagi, Dexter and the twins.

Skylar's lifepoints stand at 1500 and her defensive Terrafin has 1600 defense points.

Akiza's Rose Tentacles towers over the field and she still has a full 4000 lifepoints. Rose Tentacles has 2200 attack points.

"Welcome back to the excitement, ladies and gentlemen! Akiza appears to have Skylar Alektra right where she wants her! Can she escape the reach of the Black Rose's Rose Tentacles, or will her lifepoints get squeezed into submission? Let's watch and find out!" The announcer says.

"Well, Skylar?" Asks Akiza. She draws. "It's my turn, and I activate 'Ivy Shackles'! And with this spell, I can now turn your Terrafin into a plant-type monster. Before you know it, Skylar. Your entire field's going to look like one giant greenhouse." Akiza says.

Vines wrap around Skylar's Terrafin. Skylar doesn't twitch.

"So with your shark now under the control of my Rose Tentacles, she can now attack you an extra time this round. You said I enjoyed other people's misery, well then I guess I should really enjoy this, shouldn't I?" Asks Akiza. Rose Tentacles raises its vines, ready to strike Skylar again.

_"Even though my Terrafin's in defense mode, he can't protect me from both attacks." _Skylar thinks to herself.

"Now, Rose Tentacles, attack! Thrash her shark! Go, Rose Retaliation!" Akiza says.

The crowd cowers and screams, slammed with a gust of wind.

"Oh, and by the way, my Rose Tentacles' power doesn't stop there. Since your shark is under her control, you now take three hundred points of direct damage!" Says Akiza.

Rose Tentacles, by now, has a vine poised behind Skylar, it smacks her on the back, hard. "Ugh!" Skylar says. Her lifepoints are now 1200. "Akiza, listen! Don't do this!" Says Skylar.

"Huh? Don't do what? Attack you directly? Well I don't do charity!" Akiza says.

Rose Tentacles swings a vine toward Skylar. "Then I play my trap, 'Card Defense'! So by removing one of the cards in my hand, my trap's effect cancels your direct attack! And then it allows me to draw a new card to replace it!" Says Skylar.

"It'll take more than that to stop me!" Akiza says.

"Akiza, you have to listen. You can't keep dueling with this anger!" Says Skylar.

"Oh yeah?! Well until you've battled in my duel disk, save it! I don't need your help!" Akiza says.

Skylar pauses for a moment, then draws. "We shall see!" Says Skylar. She drew the spell card 'Galaxy Barrage'. "I summon Hex! And thanks to her special ability, I get to summon another monster from my graveyard! So say hello again to Warnado!" Skylar says. Hex has 1300 attack points and is a dark type monster.

Warnado is a level-two wind-attribute monster that has nine hundred attack points and four hundred defense points.

"And now I am tuning my Hex with my Warnado to synchro-summon, Ninjini!" Says Skylar. Hex throws down a ghostly skull and her three stars fly straight up into a rushing void. Three green rings descend and align with Warnado, transforming it into golden outlines, aligning its two stars. Ninjini has 2300 attack points and is a rare magic type monster. "Next I am going to activate the equip spell 'Galaxy Barrage', which gives my genie-ninja a power boost! Alright, now attack Rose Tentacles!" Skylar says.

Destroyed. Akiza's lifepoints now stand at 3900.

"And now the effect of my 'Galaxy Barrage' activates! So as soon as my genie-ninja destroyed your garden-gone-wild, you lose lifepoints for each of Rose Tentacles' attack points!" Says Skylar.

Ninjini attacks Akiza again, her lifepoints fall to 2800. Akiza didn't even flinch.

"Looks like you are up." Skylar says.

The announcer's face is on the sphere. "That was a big round for Skylar, now will Ninjini make a curse outta the Black Rose?" Asks the announcer.

The crowd is making unpleasant noise. "…Take that, you witch!" "…Get her outta here!" "Okay! Skylar's got this!" Leo says. "I know!" Says Dexter. "Ya see that combo, gramps? She's on a roll!" Tanner says. "I prefer a nice bialy." Says Yanagi._ "There's something different about the way Skylara's dueling. It's almost like she's holding back and trying to help Akiza." _Luna thinks to herself.

"You want combos?" Akiza asks. She draws. "Watch!" Says Akiza. She drew Copy Plant. "First of all, since my spell card 'Ivy Shackles' is still in effect, your genie-ninja becomes a plant-type monster. Next up, I'm summoning my Copy Plant in defense mode! And I bet you can guess what its special ability is just from its name. But in case you weren't paying attention, it can copy the level of any other plant monster on the field, and since your genie-ninja is under the control of my Rose Tentacles, my Copy Plant now becomes a level-five monster!" Akiza says.

"I'm not sure I like what she's planning to do, kids. She's got Skylar backing into a corner!" Says Yanagi.

"And now that I have the tuner monster Copy Plant on my field, I can trigger the special ability of my Dark Verger that's in my graveyard to summon up your destruction, Skylar!" Akiza says.

"Here comes the combo she was talkin' about. Aw, man, this ain't good." Says Tanner.

"Get ready, 'cause now I can use my monsters for a synchro-summon! I tune my Copy Plant with my Dark Verger to create my ultimate monster. I summon, Black Rose Dragon!" Akiza says. The air around her is glowing pink, as she raises her arm to the sky. Black Rose Dragon's thorned lashes whip through the air as it appears, graceful and terrifying, in a whirlwind, roaring. "Get ready to feel the fury of my Black Rose Dragon, Skylar!" Says Akiza. Black Rose Dragon has 2400 attack points.

Skylar's Signs light up on her arm and abdomen, the markings on her legs start to appear, as well, glowing through her boots and lower half of her bodysuit, she looks down at them, in shock.

"Because as soon as it's summoned to the field, I can activate its special ability! So by taking a plant-type monster from the graveyard and then removing it from play, I can choose one of your monsters and set its attack points to zero! I'll sacrifice Wall of Ivy!" Akiza says. Black Rose Dragon chomps the ghost of Wall of Ivy that appears in the air before her, savagely. "It's a small price to pay, to take out all your Ninjini's attack points!" Says Akiza.

Black Rose Dragon wraps Ninjini in glowing red vines.

"Not Ninjini!" Skylar says.

"That genie-ninja is worthless now! There's nothing that she can do! Black Rose Dragon attack!" Asks Akiza.

"She might not be able to help me. However, guess who can! By removing my Terrafin from play, I can save Ninjini from being destroyed!" Skylar says.

"But you're still going to feel the wrath of my dragon!" Says Akiza.

"Not if I play this, my 'Dark Spirit Force'! So now all the damage from your Dragon's attack is negated!" Skylar says. The blast is deflected by a glowing shield around herself and flies in all directions.

Part of it hits the dueling track, parts of the crowd scream and duck for cover.

_"Agh! Her power is getting out of control! I better finish this duel before someone gets hurt!"_ Skylar thinks to herself. "With the power of my 'Dark Spirit Force', I am bringing back Hex from my graveyard!" Says Skylar.

"Well let's see what that little dark sorceress can do against two face downs." Akiza says.

In the stands, a few columns of chairs have been completely totaled. A woman sits weeping in the aisle, while a young man is standing. "…You ruined my seats! You have any idea how much they cost me?!"

Another part of the crowd. "…She's dangerous! Just send her away!"

Akiza is drowning in enmity.

The rest of the crowd is chanting, Freak! Freak! Freak! "…No one likes you!"

_"Just keep it up. Just keep putting me down. I know it makes you feel good, but now let me show you what makes me feel good. It's time to show you what misery really is." _Akiza thinks to herself.

Skylar watches her, silently.

"My whole life, I've tried to ignore all the teasing and name-calling. But you can't ignore the pain that it causes forever, Skylar." Says Akiza. Her eyes look slightly insane. "I'll make them stop!" Akiza says.

_"I have to help her before she does something she will regret! If I show her that her power is a gift and not a curse, maybe she will stop causing all this pain!" _Skylar thinks to herself. "It is my move!" Says Skylar. She drew a spell, 'Prevention Galaxian Star'. _"Nice. With 'Prevention Galaxian Star', I can stop one of her monsters from attacking. I better hold onto it for later. I got a feeling the big dogs are coming out soon." _Skylar thinks to herself. "I summon Hex in attack mode!" Skylar says. Hex has 1300 attack points. "And thanks to her special ability, Warnado is summoned automatically!" Says Skylar. Warnado has 400 attack points.

"Okay! And now Warnado's attack points get transferred over to Ninjini! That's not just a special ability, that's like a totally-wicked-double-backflip-with-chocolate-sprinkles ability!" Leo says.

Skylar looks at the card she's holding in her hand._ "Cynder the Black Dragon. Perfect!" _Skylar thinks to herself. "Now I tune Hex with my Ninjini!" Says Skylar. Ninjini flies through the three rings, turning into golden outlines and the stars align. "Meet my friend, Cynder the Black Dragon!" Skylar says. She raises an arm, triumphantly, in a blast of black light. The dragon appears at last, shrieking, its torn wings dark toned in the bright sunlight, raining darkness through the air.

"In all my years of broadcasting, I have never seen a monster like this! If you're watching from home, do not adjust your screen! It's as unbelievable as it appears!" Says the announcer.

Cynder the Black Dragon has 2900 attack points.

"That's her dragon! That's the card she gave Yusei in order to defeat Armstrong!" Yanagi says. "Wait a sec, why would Skylar bring out a monster that's more out of control than her Ninjini?" Asks Leo. "I dunno, it's like she's trying to say something to the Black Rose." Luna says. The crowd. "…She's got no chance, now!" "…Lookit that, it's huge!"

Above the arena. Cynder and Black Rose Dragon are facing off, about equal in size, only Cynder stands on all fours.

Jack's eyes are wide. "Not bad." Says Jack. "Excellent!" Goodwin says.

"Two dragons?" Asks Sayer.

Cynder suddenly gets up on her hind legs and shrieks at Black Rose Dragon, who roars right back.

"Get ready, people. These two dragons are about to do battle!" The announcer says.

"You brought out that dragon to remind me of all the pain that detestable mark on my arm has caused me! Why would you do that?!" Asks Akiza.

"Hm?" Skylar asks, surprised.

"Do you really believe that because we both have this mark in common you know what I'm feeling and what I've been through?!" Asks Akiza.

"I am just showing you that you are not as different as you think! I don't have to be your enemy, I could be your friend." Skylar says.

"Friend?! Who says I want a friend! We both have these stupid marks, and no matter what we do we'll always be outcasts. Get it? Our fate is to be alone..." Says Akiza.

Flashback. The room is in purple flames, the grown man whom five-year-old Akiza was dueling is slammed against the wall hard enough to crack it, and hangs there, suspended, as a woman beside him stares at the young girl, in horror. "My family..." Akiza says, in voice-over.

Change flashback. Teenage Akiza and her Violet Witch stand across the field from a huge explosion, surrounded by dark purple flames. "My classmates..." Says Akiza, in voice-over.

Change flashback. Duel Academy students cower, as the floor demolishes itself around a dark-haired girl in a red blazer who stands across the duel field from Akiza. The teenage psychic stands alone, shunned by her peers. "Everyone I've ever known, I've hurt!" Akiza says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "That's why having friends isn't a choice. It's something that I can never do. And that's why it's so much easier to wear a mask. Isn't that why you wear a mask yourself, Skylar?" Asks Akiza. She raises the heartless white mask, holding it in front of her face, as though to put it on. "It's amazing how little you care about other people when you can live behind a wall of plaster and paint…" Akiza says.

Flashback. "Even if it is only the size of your face." Says Akiza, in voice-over. The Black Rose raises a hand and blasts a duelist in the street with a rose. "And so I dueled with it. I won with it. And I lived with it." Akiza says, in voice-over. The Black Rose's face was expressionless, her opponent never saw her vengeful glee. The Black Rose stood alone in a storm of wind, cloaked. "Some have said it's time to move on, to show my true face to the world." Says Akiza, in voice-over.

Change flashback. The Black Rose stands in an alley, hidden from a bright light beyond it. Akiza looks up, startled, as a black-gloved hand removes the mask from her face. "Because maybe then people wouldn't fear my abilities. Maybe then I could live a normal life…" Akiza says, in voice-over. Sayer stands across the alley from her, face-to-face. Sayer holds the mask in one hand, smiling. The moment holds, as Akiza looks up at Sayer, in silent surprise. "Or at least as close to normal as people like us can get. Maybe even have a friend." Says Akiza, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "But you heard the crowd, didn't you, Skylar? They don't understand me, eighty thousand people are shouting they're afraid of me!" Akiza says.

"Don't listen to them, listen to me!" Says Skylar.

"I need my mask! Why are you trying to help me, Skylar?!" Akiza asks.

"Because I know you!" Says Skylar.

"You know who, the scared girl? Maybe the face behind the mask?" Akiza asks, dejected.

"I know what it is like to be the outcast. I am from the Satellite! You think people here liked what they saw in me, even though they had no clue where I originally came from?! You can't stay afraid! You can't hide behind a mask forever! Yes, I should talk because I wear a mask myself. However, mine is worn in order to keep my identity hidden. Not to duel people and cause them pain! I have worn my mask for only a couple years now. However, at least I know when it is time to remove it!" Says Skylar.

"You're wrong." Akiza says.

_"I didn't want it to come to this, Akiza. However, you have left me no choice!" _Skylar thinks to herself. "Cynder, attack with Dark Shadow Flame!" Says Skylar. She grimaces as her Sign appears, burning through her glove. The Sign on her abdomen appears, as well, burning through her bodysuit. The markings down her legs and the symbolic designs on her upper back also appear, glowing through her clothing. Skylar lets out a cry, in pain, as new additions appear on her lower back and down her arms, glowing through her bodysuit. "Ugh!" Skylar says.

Akiza's appears, to her fury. "Ugh!" Says Akiza.

Luna's is glowing too and she grabs her arm with her other hand, hiding it from view. "Huh? Hey, your arm!" Yanagi says.

Up in the control tower. Jack's Sign appears also, he gasps with surprise. Goodwin turns his head to look at Jack, slightly. _"I was right, Skylar's a Signer, too. Four down and two to go." _Goodwin thinks to himself.

"Don't wear that mask!" Says Skylar.

Cynder attacks and destroys Black Rose Dragon, Akiza is left with 2700 lifepoints. "Sorry. But I've already made my decision. I, need the mask. Without it, it's too easy to be hurt." Akiza says. Over the last few words, she puts on the mask, it muffles her voice, making it sound slightly different.

Crowd. "…Nice mask scaredy-cat!" "…Happy Halloween!"

_"Skylar, Akiza's mine. You can't rescue her from fate." _Sayer thinks to himself.

Akiza now stands on the field, wearing her Black Rose mask.

Jack and Goodwin watch, silently.

"Listen…" Says Skylar.

"No! You listen! It's my move, and I activate 'Magic Planter'! So by removing my 'Ivy Shackles' from play, I get to plant two new face downs! And next I'll play one of them, 'Dark Tuning'! For the low price of eight hundred lifepoints, I can summon any synchro monster from my graveyard! And I'm bringing back, Black Rose Dragon!" Akiza says. Black Rose Dragon has 2400 attack points. "But I'm not done yet, because now I can equip 'Wicked Reborn' to my Dragon! She might not be able to attack this turn, but as long as she's equipped with this card, Black Rose Dragon can be re-summoned at the end of each and every round! So for those of you in the back of the class, that means if it's ever destroyed in battle, or by some special spell, it comes back as good as new at the end of my turn." Says Akiza.

"Ugh..." Skylar says.

"Oh, and last but not least, when Black Rose Dragon is special summoned, all the cards on your field are destroyed! So say goodbye to your pathetic pet!" Says Akiza. Black Rose Dragon creates a mighty whirlwind, her arm twinges again. "Ugh!" Akiza says.

The whirlwind is spreading, beyond the duel and into the stadium.

"Hold on tight!" Says Tanner. "Stay together!" Yanagi says. The kids moan, with fear. _"Skylara..." _Luna thinks to herself.

_"I got to stop this...!" _Skylar thinks to herself. "I activate Cynder's special ability! It might be a big price to pay! However, sacrificing my dragon destroys yours and all of its powers!" Says Skylar. She discards Cynder the Black Dragon. "It is a dragon for a dragon!" Skylar says.

Cynder lunges forward, her wings folding around Black Rose Dragon's neck. Cynder begins to darken and Black Rose Dragon goes with her. Both evaporate. They're gone.

"Look! She stopped her!" Says Tanner. "But she lost Cynder the Black Dragon! What now?!" Yanagi asks.

_"Your heart will be your undoing!" _Jack thinks to himself.

"You may have rid the field of my Dragon, but let's see how you handle Phoenixian Seed!" Says Akiza. Phoenixian Seed has 800 attack points. "And since we're sacrificing cards to activate special abilities, I'll sow my seed to reap Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!" Akiza says. Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis has 2200 attack points, 0 defense points, is a level 8 monster and is a fire type.

When the monster card Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis is in your graveyard, it is automatically re-summoned in defense mode at the end of your turn.

"And before you start in again with 'don't duel in anger', let's see if you change your tune after I destroy another one of your monsters! Amaryllis, attack!" Says Akiza. It wraps orange-glowing vines around Warnado, burning it out of existence. "But it doesn't end there, because once Amaryllis attacks, it self-destructs, causing another eight hundred points of damage. This should hurt a little." Akiza says.

Skylar weathers the blow.

"Toldja." Says Akiza.

Skylar's lifepoints go down to 400.

In the whipping wind, the bottom third of Akiza's mask cracks away, revealing that same sinister smile. "I'll end with a face down." Akiza says.

"This round isn't even close to being over, Akiza! Remember, I used Cynder the Black Dragon's special ability, and that means she comes back!" Says Skylar.

"Well then I guess our two beasts will have to battle it out again! This is the beginning of your end!" Akiza says. Huge column of violet-white light behind her, swarming with black petals. "I re-summon Black Rose Dragon! And with it on the field, I now activate my trap, 'Overdoom Line'. So now the monster I just summoned from my graveyard gains one thousand attack points! And to keep my Dragon company, I'm activating Amaryllis's special ability, which also allows me to summon it from my graveyard! It's your turn, Skylar!" Says Akiza.

"I draw, then." Skylar says. She drew a trap, 'Cosmic Shadow Blast'. _"Now if my Dragon ever leaves the field, it can still deal damage to Akiza! I know the only way to help her is to defeat her!" _Skylar thinks to herself. A combo forms in her mind, a path from one card to the next, 'Prevention Galaxian Star', Cynder the Black Dragon, a face down, Black Rose Dragon and 'Cosmic Shadow Blast'. _"And I am starting to see just the combo to do it!" _Skylar thinks to herself. "I take my Cynder the Black Dragon, and switch her to defense mode. Then I shall activate the spell 'Prevention Galaxian Star'. And since my Cynder the Black Dragon is in defense mode, I can equip the power of 'Prevention Galaxian Star' to her. And now I get to prevent one of your monsters from attacking or changing its battle position! And I think I shall freeze up your Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!" Says Skylar.

"Awesome! Skylar never would've survived another round with Akiza's Amaryllis still in attack mode! Now let's see if she can turn this duel around!" Tanner says.

"I play the trap card 'Synchro Back'! Now by removing one synchro monster from my field, I can re-summon it next turn. And who better, than my Black Rose Dragon, Skylar?" Asks Akiza. It disappears.

"What did she do?" Yanagi asks. "Don'tcha get it, gramps? When she special-summons her dragon next round, its special ability activates, destroying all of Skylar's cards!" Says Tanner. "Yeah, so she'll take out Skylar's Cynder the Black Dragon and that'll leave her wide-open for a direct attack! I dunno what she can do to beat Akiza, guys!" Dexter says. "Wah!" Says both Leo and Luna.

"I shall end by throwing down a face down." Skylar says.

"It won't help you!" Says Akiza. She draws. "'Cause thanks to my 'Synchro Back's' effect, Black Rose Dragon comes back to the field!" Akiza says. Huge column of violet-white light behind her, swarming with black petals. As soon as it appears, Akiza groans as her mark throbs again.

"It is your Sign!" Says Skylar.

"I wish it was gone!" Akiza says.

"However, it is a part of you! It is part of all of us!" Says Skylar.

Akiza thinks of the claw-shaped mark that burns through her sleeve, angrily. Behind the mask, Akiza's eyes are hateful.

"Having this mark doesn't make you a witch, Akiza. It makes you special! I know other people don't see that and I know it hurts. However, when you get angry at them, you are only hating yourself!" Skylar says. She is gripping at her own right arm, hunching over, slightly, to brace it against her leg. Skylar, too, is remembering the sight of the mark glowing against her bare arm. "The pain you feel from that mark is shared by me, as well. It is trying to bring us together, to strengthen us! I don't understand it yet. However, this pain is somehow uniting us! We have to figure out what it wants, Akiza. However, first you must realize that you are not alone!" Says Skylar.

Akiza looks down at her arm.

"That we are connected…" Skylar says.

Luna is also looking down at her arm, her face troubled with the pain.

"We are all connected! We are all going to have to make a choice." Says Skylar.

Up in the tower. Jack is also gripping his arm, gritting his teeth.

In the garage. Yusei is gripping at his arm, too, fighting against the pain.

"We are going to have to band together in order for this to all make sense! Embrace your dragon, she is beautiful! Just like you are under that mask." Skylar says.

"I'm not beautiful. People don't like me! And it's this mark that's caused all the suffering I've had to live through!" Says Akiza.

"You are right. However, if you stay mad, you shall always suffer." Skylar says.

"So just accept it? Embrace it? Forget the past?!" Asks Akiza, her voice wavering. The roller in her hair starts glowing. "Hate's all I know!" Akiza says. The roller goes flying, her hair comes loose in several long bangs, wildly, that are usually curled around the roller. "This discussion is over! I activate Black Rose Dragon's special ability!" Says Akiza.

Black Rose Dragon spreads its wings and the wind begins to blow in the stadium again.

Everyone in the audience cowers.

A piece of the translucent side of the dueling track shatters and breaks.

"All of your cards are destroyed, along with this stadium!" Akiza says.

"I won't let you do this! I use my Dragon's special ability! I shall sacrifice her to stop this destruction!" Says Skylar.

Once again, Cynder lunges forward and body-slams Black Rose Dragon, holding it back. Black Rose Dragon whips at Cynder with its vines, angrily.

"Stop fighting, Akiza! It is over! The dragon inside you wasn't meant to destroy!" Skylar says.

One of the vines, then another, hits dangerously close to Cynder's eye, but she holds her ground, clinging to Black Rose Dragon. Black Rose Dragon darkens and disappears within Cynder's grasp and then she, too, vanishes. The winds calm.

"She's gone! Black Rose Dragon's gone!" Says Akiza.

Skylar's 'Prevention Galaxian Star' leaves the field along with Cynder, there's still a little tornado going in the center of the field.

Akiza's voice has a hysterical edge to it and she sounds like she's almost crying. "But that doesn't mean we're finished here, Skylar. 'Prevention Galaxian Star's gone, too. Which means Amaryllis can now attack. But you still have that face down, Skylar, don't you! The question is, will it be enough! You've wasted your time trying to save me, now it's time to see if you can save yourself. Let's see if you can stop me!" Akiza says.

"I never wanted to stop you, I wanted to save you!" Says Skylar.

"Huh?!" Akiza asks.

"And I intend to with 'Cosmic Shadow Blast'! Now because Cynder the Black Dragon left the field, you lose lifepoints for all of her attack points! You would have seen it coming if you weren't hiding behind that mask!" Says Skylar. A ghostly image of Cynder appears over her and summons winds that swirl with black rose petals, forming a tornado that she wraps her wings around, violet light pours from behind her wings. It explodes.

Before Akiza knows what hit her, a single piece of shrapnel from the explosion hits her mask right between the eyes, it cracks in two. Akiza bows her head, concealed by her long bangs and the pieces fall from her face. Akiza's lifepoints sink to zero. Akiza begins to look at Skylar, who gasps. Akiza's eyes are filling with tears. "That's right. The Black Rose is crying." Akiza says.

"Ah! Akiza!" Says Skylar.

"…Is not your concern. I think you have caused enough damage for one day, Miss. Alektra. Akiza's coming home with me." Sayer says, sounding frosty. He puts his brown trench coat around Akiza's shoulders, as she kneels on the field, now seeing he wears beneath it dark blue pants, a dark green vest and a black shirt. Akiza looks up at Sayer, bemused. "It's okay. You tried. Next time, you'll do better." Says Sayer, kindly.

The crowd. "…All right, she lost!" "…Don't forget your mask!"

"The winner of the duel is Skylar Alektra! And now Yusei Fudo will go on to duel Jack Atlas." The announcer says.

Skylar stands alone on the field, quietly triumphant. Skylar grasps her still-shining right arm, gently.

As Sayer leads Akiza out of the arena, she glances back, her mask has truly come off, revealing the human underneath.

Skylar watches Akiza go.

_"Thank you, Skylar."_ Akiza thinks to herself.

_"Jack, Yusei, Luna, Akiza and myself." _Skylar thinks to herself.

Yusei walks up and stands next to her. "Congrats Skylar, you did it." Says Yusei. "However, it cost me dearly. Now Goodwin knows everything. Yusei, I won this duel so you could get even with Jack. Now, it is time for you to continue where I left off here. We shall surly run into Akiza again. Her mask may be gone, but the Black Rose is still very much alive. And very soon, I shall be doing the same by removing my own mask and leaving Skylar Alektra in the shadows for good." "So, is Skylara Galatea coming back for good?" Yusei asks. "Yes, she is." Says Skylar.


	26. Chapter 25

_Chapter 25: The Fortune Cup Finale: Part 1_

Nervin slams the side of a dark metal box with his back and then tries to pry at a seam, this clearly isn't the first time they've tried to get out of the undisclosed metal cargo crate they're being kept in. "Nnngh! Come on, open up!" Nervin says.

"Knock it off, Nervin. It's not gonna budge." Says Tank. The other three are in the opposite corner of the box. Tank is sitting on the floor, leaning against the back wall, Blitz is leaning on the side wall and Rally is standing around.

"Hey come on, let us outta here already! Any of you guys see who those thugs were?" Nervin asks.

Flashback. The four of them are cornered in their subway tunnel hideout by a trio of masked thugs with guns. "I couldn't see anything, I was so scared I had my eyes closed!" Says Tank, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "I wish they'd feed us. Ugggh! Or at the very least tell us what we're doing in here!" Rally says.

At the Fortune Cup. "Ladies and gentlemen, the most intense duel we've seen so far has roared to a close." Says the announcer.

Akiza is supporting her still-glowing Signed arm with her left hand, as Sayer leads her through the arena door and out of sight.

Skylar watches them go, covering the arm still glowing through her sleeve and glove. Yusei is standing next to Skylar, his body facing her side and his head faces where she's facing.

"Skylar has defeated the Black Rose and emerged as the winner. Now Yusei Fudo faces off against Jack Atlas in the Fortune Cup finale!" The announcer says.

Up in the stands. Luna's mark is glowing against her arm, on which the sleeve has been rolled up. The group is looking at it, in awe. "Could it really be?! Luna, you're a Signer!" Says Yanagi. "She's a what?" Leo asks.

Akiza's mark is still glowing.

So is Skylar's, she peers at it more closely and the effort forces her to squint one eye, she pulls down her glove and rolls up her sleeve, just as the mark fades, it remains burned there, as Jack's and Akiza's are, just like it always has been for her, only now all the markings that have appeared have solidified. Yusei then rolls up his sleeve and pulls his glove down, just as his mark fades, it remains burned there, as Jack, Skylar and Akiza's are. "Okay, this is new. Last time this mark vanished. What's going on?" Asks Yusei. Skylar growls under her breath and looks up at the control tower.

Up in the tower. "So now you know who four of the six Signers are." Jack says. "That's right. So when you duel Yusei, be sure to push him to his limits. Because the power your duel generates will reveal the sixth Signer, and unite you all!" Says Goodwin. Jack, too, cradles his right arm, on which his Sign is glowing.

Yusei and Skylar take the steps of the stands three or four at a time.

Across the aisle from their friends, several stadium workers, in matching jackets, seem to be doing damage control from the last duel, several rows of chairs are partially demolished.

"Guys! Listen. You have to get Luna out of here." Skylar says. "Skylara! Yusei! Luna's got a mark, she's a Signer like you two!" Says Yanagi. "That is why you need to get her out of here! I am starting to think it is dangerous for us Signers to be near each other. Look at what happened during my last duel with Akiza." Skylar says.

Behind her and Yusei, the guys across the aisle are also comforting a few young kids, who must have gotten lost in the chaos, or at least badly scared.

Luna then runs up to Skylar, wrapping her arms around her waist, looking a bit scared and also worried. "Skylara, do you know what's going on here?" Asks Luna. Skylar places a hand under her chin and the other arm around her. "I shall tell you what I find out after I see Goodwin. For now, head toward Blister's place and don't stop for anyone! Yusei, are you coming with me?" Skylar asks. Yusei nods. Skylar releases Luna from her hold and she steps back. Skylar and Yusei then dash away down the steps.

"Oh..." Says Luna. "I'm sure everything's gonna be okay. We had better do what she says, kids. Follow me and stay close behind." Yanagi says. They leave their seats and climb the stairs.

They soon enter the hallway and they are accosted by several security guards. "…Stop right there!" "Augh!" Says Yanagi. They're surrounded, the guys in suits and sunglasses are intimidating. Luna cowers halfway behind Leo, Tanner looks around, defensively.

"You weren't planning to leave, were you?" Lazar asks. "Huh! And what if we were?" Asks Tanner. "Well, Director Goodwin would like you to stay and enjoy the rest of the tournament. Hmhmhmhmhahaha!" Lazar says. "Well you tell Goodwin that we're sick a' him tellin' people what to do!" Says Tanner. He grabs Lazar by the front of his blazer and lifts him into the air. Lazar doesn't stop smirking once. "Say, did you know that Yusei has friends back in the Satellite Sector? Mmhmhmhmhmhm!" Lazar asks. Tanner's face shows shock, he sees exactly where this is going. Tanner drops Lazar, roughly, who straightens his jacket. "Hmph! I heard that they went missing a few days ago. I hope nothing bad happens to them. So I think it would be best if you return to your seats now!" Says Lazar.

Skylar is running down a hallway toward a couple unsuspecting security guards in front of a door, Yusei not far behind her.

"…Hey, hold it!" "…The Director's not expecting you!"

Yusei gets in front of Skylar, moving almost too fast to see, dodges under the first guard's punch and takes him down with some sort of terrific leaping kick.

Then Skylar punches the second, knees him in the gut and pulls him around to where she can slam him against the wall, hard.

Within two seconds, both guards are incapacitated on the floor in the hallway.

"Sorry. However, he has some explaining to do!" Skylar says. She pushes open the double doors and walks into the control tower, with Yusei following after her.

Trudge rises from a respectful bow, addressing Goodwin, who glances irritably over his shoulder, holding a wine glass of orange liquid, over by the window, Jack appears to be in conversation with Minako. "Director? Look, Sir, there's something I've gotta say." Says Trudge.

"Mmm?" Goodwin asks.

"It's my official position that you need to stop this tournament." Says Trudge.

"I thought your official position was mall security." Goodwin says. Trudge's face is reflected in his glass, perhaps this allows him to read his face without dignifying him by actually turning his head to look at the person he's talking to.

"Very funny. But I feel this tournament is cursed or something! You witnessed the damage of the last duel! I'm concerned things are gonna get worse!" Says Trudge.

"Officer! I don't pay you to be concerned." Goodwin says.

"But Sir…" Says Trudge.

"I pay you to do what I say. And as for what you think, if I was going to pay someone to do some thinking, it most certainly would not be you. Langley, please escort Officer Trudge out!" Goodwin says.

"Is… Langley one a' the guys guarding the door?" Asks Yusei.

Jack, Trudge and Goodwin all look to their left, immediately, and see…

"Yusei!" Trudge says.

"'Cause he's, uh, he's napping." Says Yusei.

Skylar walks further into the room, right past Trudge.

A pair of guards start to approach Trudge.

Yusei is again not too far away from Skylar.

"What're you doing up here, punk?!" Trudge asks, addressing Yusei.

"That's enough." Says Goodwin.

Pause.

Goodwin stands up and turns, his tone is clipped and cool, but calm. "Thank you for escorting him here, Skylar. How can I help you, Yusei?" Asks Goodwin.

"Before I say... weren't you gonna throw him out?" Yusei asks. Trudge grabs him by the lapels, frustrated.

Goodwin nods to the guards.

Trudge makes a huge scene, as the guards drag him away, via-elevator. "Gaaaaah! That's it, Goodwin! I'm gonna figure out what you're up to! You're going down! You're gonna…" Says Trudge. The elevator doors close.

Showdown.

Yusei and Goodwin.

Jack, Skylar and Minako are paying attention.

"Time to talk. You forced me into this tournament. You threatened me and you locked up my friends." Yusei says.

Minako, unnoticed, appears surprised.

"I wanna know the truth. I'm not dueling Jack until you tell me why you've done this." Says Yusei.

"Huh! Are you dense, Yusei? It's 'cause of this." Jack says. He pulls off his glove to reveal the burned wing Sign on his arm. "This mark." Says Jack.

"Huh! So I wasn't seeing things before!" Yusei says.

"He wants the Crimson Dragon's power, so he's been trying to gather everyone with its mark! He got me here by lying to me, and buttering me up, and manipulating me!" Says Jack.

"Oh come on, you're making me sound so devious Jack. You wanted to be the turbo-duel champion." Goodwin says.

"Yeah, but I wanted to earn that title. At this point, I'm starting to think that you've been rigging everything. I think, your little plan involves setting me up, as bait for Yusei." Says Jack.

Yusei scowls. "Well, Jack. Did you expect me to return from the 'so-called' grave?" Skylar asks.

"What are you talking about, Skylar?" Asks Jack.

"Stop calling me that! It is time to meet the true face behind the mask, Jack." Skylar says. She removes the half-mask, slowly, revealing the rest of her face, now holding the half-mask in her hand.

Jack's in shock, as if he's seen a ghost. "Skylara, is that really you?" Asks Jack.

"Of course it is. It has always been me. You just couldn't find it in your heart to truly believe it was me and look past the mask. Skylar Alektra is no more." Skylara says.

Jack then turns his attention back to Yusei. "Goodwin knew that you would come after me if I did everything exactly as he asked me to. Isn't that right, Director?" Asks Jack.

"Don't be ridiculous. I didn't even know about Yusei until you dueled him that night in the arena." Goodwin says.

"D'you honestly expect me to believe that this is all some big coincidence?! You needed to verify that Yusei had a mark, so you needed him and I to duel, with passion. So, you created a situation in which the stakes would be as high as possible!" Says Jack.

Flashback, clear picture, but the lighting scheme is different. The Satellite is murky and gray, the landscape almost sepia-tone. A day in the Satellite, a few years ago. It looks slightly less decrepit and foggy than it does in the present.

A younger Rally, his hair shorter, runs out from behind a corner, a younger Skylara, scarless and hair somewhat shorter than it is now, at least long to her lower back, is running alongside Rally. Back then, Skylara's attire was completely different from what she wears present wise, just as both she and Yusei have stated once before. Skylara used to wear black, low-heeled boots and leggings, that started off black at her hips, but gradually faded to purple as they neared her shoes, a black, buttoned vest, with coattails, and a white, sleeveless undershirt, that exposed part of her midriff, with white shorts, that may have connected to her shirt, although it was partly obscured by the vest. Her shorts had a zipper on the front of each leg, but it is unknown if these zippers had served a purpose or if they were simply decorative. She also wore a black, detached sleeve and silver armband on her right arm, similar to the ones she wears in the present, but unlike them, this one isn't being held in place by her middle finger, and a detached, scarf-like collar around her neck. This is also the same attire Skylara was wearing back when Blister found her, and when she first met Luna and Leo.

They're being chased by a group of three wacky-looking toughs. "…Ya can't run forever, half-pint!" "…We ain't gonna hurtcha too bad!" They're mostly addressing Rally.

Rally trips and falls.

Skylara then stops running and puts herself over him.

One of them raises his bat, ready to hit Skylara and Rally, but a thrown card causes him to drop it.

Skylara and Rally stand up.

While the leader of the punks is cringing and holding his hand. "…Hey, how'dj'you do that just now?" "…Up there!"

Rally and Skylara look up.

Above them, standing on the third story of a building that no longer has a wall there, is Jack, back when he still lived in the Satellite. Jack's long blazer is white, but less fancy, and he wears a light blue shirt underneath it.

"Jack?" Rally asks.

"You boys are trespassing." Says Jack. He jumps down, easily, to approach them.

"…What're you talking about?!" The punks step back.

Rally runs over to stand behind Jack.

Skylara's not as amused to see Jack though. Obviously, it seems they probably just recently broke up because the tension can be felt between them. Skylara isn't sad or hurt at all seeing Jack again, can't really say the same for him. Even though their relationship has come to end, Jack will still keep other men from hurting Skylara. As Jack passes Skylara, their glaring at each other from the corner of their eyes, he then brings his attention to the punks. "Nobody steps over that median line." Jack says.

Indeed, there's a white line painted on the pavement that they are now retreating behind, nervously. "…Hey, come on, man, be cool. We don't got no beef with you..."

In a flash, Jack has his duel disk on and is summoning something. "You do now, my friend!" Says Jack. Red Dragon Archfiend appears, roaring.

It roars in their faces and they flee, in terror.

Rally runs a few steps after and stops when he's standing next to Skylara. "Haha! Yeah, that's what I thought!" Rally says. He turns. "Huh? Jack, where'd'ja go?" Asks Rally. He and Skylara are standing in the street alone. Jack is nowhere in sight.

"Who cares!" Skylara says, harshly. She walks away.

Rally turns to Skylara, with an outstretched hand. "Hey, where're you goin' Skylara?" Asks Rally.

"Where else? I am going home." Skylara says.

"But… Wait, aren't ya gonna thank Jack for saving and protecting you?" Asks Rally.

Skylara suddenly stops walking. "Rally." Skylara says.

"Yes, what is it?" Asks Rally.

"You need to understand something." Skylara says. She turns to look over her shoulder at Rally. "I have nothing further to say to him." Says Skylara. She then turns away and walks away.

"But… He protected you! You can at the very least thank him for doing that!" Rally says.

"What he did was unnecessary. I don't need anyone to protect me, not anymore. I am more than capable of defending myself. Now, I am going home. You can do what you please." Says Skylara.

"So just because you and Jack split up, you're gonna let that keep you from talking to him. You are so stubborn, Skylara. I don't understand how he even put up with you. No wonder Jack ended it with you, he couldn't handle your attitude anymore!" Rally says.

Skylara stops walking, her fists are clenched at her sides and she's growling under her breath. "Rally!" Says Skylara.

Rally places his hands over his mouth, he can't believe he just said that.

"Do you not understand how to keep your mouth shut?! And another thing in case you were wondering. I am the one who ended the relationship, not Jack!" Skylara says.

"Skylara, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that, truly I didn't." Says Rally.

"Just forget it, Rally. You just need to accept it as it is. Jack and I are over and that isn't going to change anytime soon. I am sorry, Rally. However, that is just the way it is now." Skylara says. She then walks off, leaving Rally behind.

Elsewhere and probably later, Rally peeks in through a door and finds what he's looking for. "Ha!" Says Rally. The building is an abandoned theater, with a massive hole in the roof, through which shine rays of sunlight on an old set. The last show was apparently something medieval, dusty red curtain draped to the side, dark blue banners upstage on either side of a throne on a dais mid-stage center. Rally enters from house right to approach Jack, who's sitting on the throne.

Jack's eyes remain in shadow. Jack's probably thinking about things that have happened between him and Skylara.

"Hey, Jack! So, this is where you're hangin' out these days, huh? Nice place!" Rally says.

"What d'you want?" Asks Jack.

"I wanted to say thanks, for earlier." Rally says.

"I was just protecting my turf, that's all. Think nothing of it." Says Jack.

Rally cleans an ear, contemplatively. "Yusei just finished building this awesome new duel runner, it's looking really sweet! We're doin' a test-run tomorrow! Uh... hey, you should come! He's gonna try to break the Canal Street record, it's gonna be great!" Rally says.

Jack is silent.

"Mmmmgh, come on! I know you and Skylara had a little falling-out, but it's been months! Can't you two just make up?! Uh, hello?" Asks Rally.

"You should get back before it gets dark." Jack says. He's obviously still hurt about the subject.

"Skylara won't even tell me what happened. She won't even talk to Yusei about it. She isn't the same as she used to be." Says Rally.

"Nothing happened. It's just... people change, Rally." Jack says.

"Well, okay, but... I just want everyone to get along again... you two were best friends! Best friends don't just stop being best friends! Well... we'll be in the Canal Street tunnel at noon, if you change your mind. Later, Jack!" Says Rally. He runs off.

Jack watches him leave. _"Her and I were more than just friends, Rally. But how do you explain that to a kid." _Jack thinks to himself.

That night, the full moon is massive and the fog turns it greenish over the abandoned theater. Moonlight shines through the smashed ceiling. Jack is still sitting on the throne, maybe he's fallen asleep in it, when a stranger approaches. Jack hears him before he sees him. "Hm? Who is that?! Show yourself!" Jack says.

"Quite the nice pad you've got here, very spacious. The 'must and mold' motif is a brave choice." Says Lazar, in the background.

"Who're you?!" Jack asks.

Lazar unabashed, steps out from behind the throne. "Oh, silly me, I forgot my manners. My name is Lazar, Mr. Atlas, and I am here to see you on behalf of Director Rex Goodwin."

"That name supposed to mean something to me?" Asks Jack.

"Director Goodwin would like to extend you an invitation." Lazar says.

"Hmph." Says Jack.

"We've been watching you from afar, Jack, and we think you're an incredible duelist." Lazar says. He steps all the way in front of the throne. "A talent like yours is being wasted out here in the Satellite. You have what it takes to be a champion, Jack. To sit on a real throne as the King of the Turbo-duels. Haven't you always wanted to be a champion, Mr. Atlas?" Asks Lazar.

Jack is silent.

"Furthermore, haven't you wondered about that mark on your arm? Uh-hmhmhmhmhm!" Lazar asks.

Jack looks at his sleeved right arm, shocked.

"That's right… we know all about it! Tomorrow evening at seven, the Maintenence Department will shut down the flow in the main pipeline for one hour." Says Lazar. He sits down on the throne. "We'll be waiting for you on the other side, Mr. Atlas. However, we do require that you bring a couple of things with you. We've heard there's another duelist here, some up-and-coming hotshot." Lazar says.

"Huh?" Asks Jack.

"We don't know much about him, other than that he uses the Stardust Dragon card. But some say he has what it takes to be the best. You need to find him, and get his Stardust Dragon card. And if you don't mind bringing your ex-girlfriend along with you, the Director wishes to bring you two possibly back together. She is quite a lovely girl, Jack. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to her here in this dangerous place." Lazar says.

Jack's teeth clench slightly, he knows already what that would mean.

"Think of it as your ticket to a new life. And believe me, Director Goodwin can give you a new life, Jack. No one will know you're from the Satellite. You'll be a respected resident of New Domino City. You'll have screaming fans, you'll attend fancy parties." Says Lazar.

Jack looks down, evasively, then his glance shifts to another patch of ground near his foot, where a roach is about to climb on his shoe.

"But hey, if you want to dwell in the slums and live with the cockroaches all your life, you're welcome to do so." Lazar says.

When Jack looks up at the throne again, he is gone, it's as though he was never there.

"The choice is yours, Jack. What's it going to be?" Asks Lazar, in the background. His voice echoes through the dark theater.

Jack is silent.

The flashback continues. The next day in the Satellite, it's as misty and grim as ever. Jack stands alone on a rooftop, gazing at New Domino City in the distance across the sea, when Rally approaches him. "Hey, Jack. Um, why are we meeting up here?" Rally asks.

"I think I'd like to come watch Yusei's test-run after all." Says Jack.

"Really? Well then let's get going!" Rally says.

"Sure, but... I need help with something first." Says Jack.

"Whatever ya need, Jack, 'cause I still owe you one from before!" Rally says.

Jack doesn't turn. "Yes, ya do." Says Jack, menacingly.

In the subway tunnel hideout. Yusei and the other guys are performing last-minute checks on the white runner, it looked far more run-of-the-mill back then. They've set up a floodlight for working on it and a wooden box of tools is sitting on the ground. Nervin appears to be helping Yusei, while Blitz and Tank watch. They look about the same, perhaps their voices are a bit younger. "Where's Rally?" Nervin asks. "He'll be bummed if he misses Yusei test out his new duel runner." Says Blitz. "When he headed out earlier, he said somethin' about goin' to meet up with Jack." Tank says. "Huh?" Asks Blitz. "He went to see Jack?! What a traitor!" Nervin says.

"Come now. Rally can hang out with whoever he wants to." Says Skylara.

"Yeah, but what about loyalty?" Nervin asks. Yusei closes the hood, no sooner has he than the radio rings and Jack's face appears on the screen. "Huh? Jack?" Asks Yusei. "Some east-side thugs just ran off with Rally." Jack says, via-screen.

"They did what?!" Asks Skylara.

They're mobilized to search in a moment, Yusei on the new runner, Skylara riding with him, holding onto him around the waist.

Blitz, Tank and Nervin run for the stairs.

While Yusei jumps the curb and takes off through the tunnels. "You guys go uptown, we'll head downtown!" Yusei says.

Nervin, Blitz and Tank search the markets. "Let's split up!" Says Nervin.

Yusei is riding along the street downtown, wearing a very funny-looking old runner helmet, when his radio rings again. Jack appears on screen. "Yusei, I found him. Come down to the waterfront right away." Jack says, via-screen. "Huh?" Asks Yusei.

A short while later. Jack is standing on a concrete pier, the waves and the dark smog overhead hint at a storm in the making.

Yusei rides up and parks. "Where is he, Jack?!" Yusei asks.

Jack points out to sea. "He's out there." Says Jack. Yusei looks.

Rally is a long way out amongst the choppy waves, tied up aboard a small, flat boat. A rowboat would be less likely to capsize.

"Rally!" Yusei says. "The tide's still going out, he could be swept out to sea! And then there's that big storm front approaching." Says Jack. "Jack, what is he doing out there?!" Yusei asks. "I guess there's no reason to keep on lying to you." Says Jack. He looks at Yusei. "I put him out there." Jack says.

Flashback to earlier on the rooftop. "Whatever ya need, Jack, 'cause I still owe ya from before!" Says Rally.

"Yes, ya do." Jack says, menacingly. He jumps down and walks over to Rally. "And now you're gonna pay me back tenfold." Says Jack. A buzzing beep of some kind, a stunner or taser or something, and Rally collapses. The flashback ends.

Return to the flashback. "But Rally's your friend!" Yusei says. "Know what people are saying? That you've got what it takes to be the best. But we both know that's not true, don't we, Yusei?" Asks Jack. "What're you saying?" Yusei asks. "You can either duel me and prove yourself, or you can swim out there and save Rally. What'll it be?" Asks Jack.

"Whoa-oa!" Rally says.

"What's more important to you, provin' that you're a true duelist?" Asks Jack. He points at Rally. "Or are you willin' to put dueling aside to help your little friend?" Jack asks. Yusei grimaces. "What're you made of?" Asks Jack. Yusei throws off his jacket and dives in, swimming out toward Rally.

_"Pathetic. You don't deserve to have Stardust Dragon." _Jack thinks to himself. He takes Yusei's deck box out of a pocket of the abandoned jacket, pulls out a card, slips it into his blazer and lets the rest of the deck fall to the ground, the case falling shut. _"Time for that test-run." _Jack thinks to himself.

He walks past Skylara, who is glaring at him with her emerald green eyes, his purple eyes are fixed on her, too. "You know Skylara, your brother is pathetic. He can't protect you here." Jack says. He is now standing directly behind Skylara. "Oh, like you could do any better." Says Skylara, commenting sarcastically and harshly on that. Jack's arms suddenly wrap around her shoulders from behind, his head is now resting on one of her shoulders. "I know you want to escape from this place so badly. I can make that dream a reality." Jack says, sweet-talking. "You obviously think that is going to work on me?" Asks Skylara. "Of course not, I know you too well. Which is why I had to distract you, from this..." Jack says. The buzzing noise goes off again, probably the same stunner or taser he used on Rally. Skylara then collapses backwards, but he catches her.

Jack's now cradling Skylara in his arms. _"Sorry about this, Skylara. But my feelings towards you will never be persuaded."_ Jack thinks to himself. He rides away on the runner Yusei rode to get there, taking Skylara with him.

Rally's boat pitches him overboard and he begins to sink, unable to move from the rope tied around his arms. Rally's gone about ten feet down when Yusei grabs him by the rope he's tied up with and they re-surface, gasping and coughing.

Meanwhile, Jack is already taking the sewage tunnel to freedom. _"So long, Satellite." _Jack thinks to himself.

Yusei steps back onto the dock, dripping, and picks up the abandoned deck box. Yusei looks at it for a moment, then puts it on his belt at the small of his back. Yusei accepts his jacket from Rally. "Man, this is all my fault. I'm so sorry." Says Rally. Yusei pats him on the back, consolingly, and they walk away together.

Jack rides down the tunnel out of sight. "Goodwin could never have made you the same offer, because you would never have left your friends behind. Not for fame and fortune, anyway. I, on the other hand, walked right into it, and by tricking me into taking your card and Skylara…" Jack says, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. Yusei and Skylara are listening, intently.

Jack puts his glove back on.

Goodwin has been sipping his orange drink in the background.

"…He gave you a reason to come after me. And I think that brings us all up to speed, more or less." Says Jack.

Yusei turns to Skylara. "Do you remember any of this, Skylara?" Yusei asks. Skylara nods, subtly. "I can remember things so clearly now. Only, I am not suffering from amnesia anymore. I haven't been for the past few weeks." Says Skylara.

"I wasn't aware that you had amnesia this whole time." Jack says.

Yusei turns back to him, glaring at him. "You're the reason she lost her memories in the first place. You're also the reason she's scarred up now. This is all your fault, Jack." Says Yusei.

Jack is glaring back at him. "You can't seriously believe that everything was my fault." Jack says.

"Well, you were the one who brought her here against her will." Says Yusei.

"Yes, but I had a good reason for doing so." Jack says.

"Oh and tell me, what reason would that be?" Asks Yusei.

"Isn't it obvious? I wanted to protect 'er, as simple as that. Something you wouldn't be able to accomplish back at the Satellite." Jack says.

"Oh please, Jack. You only did all that for yourself." Says Yusei.

"Why you! I can't stand you!" Jack says.

"The feelings mutual." Says Yusei. "Stop!" Skylara says.

Both Jack and Yusei are taken aback by this outburst, they'll listen to her just like they always have.

"Both of you need to stop and face the facts. This argument is pointless. What has happened in the past is done, we can't change what happened." Says Skylara. "But Skylara, he's the cause for everything that's happened to you." Yusei says. "It happened three years ago. Holding onto the past doesn't help anyone. I am getting sick and tired of all this. I don't care what happened then, not anymore. I don't entirely blame Jack for everything that happened to me and you shouldn't either." Says Skylara.

"So, you don't blame me for what happened? The scars and losing your memories?" Jack asks.

"Well, it wasn't like you threw me off of your runner. I was the one who was careless. I was trying to save myself. However, you can obviously see how that result turned out." Says Skylara.

Both Yusei and Jack have soft eyes, her words are really starting to hit them.

"You two were friends once, best friends. I know your decision is final, that you two are basically fed up with each other. You shall settle all of this in your duel." Skylara says. "But this whole situation is hurting you, isn't it sis?" Asks Yusei. "What does it matter how I feel? This isn't about me anymore, it is about you two now." Skylara says.

"If there's one thing that hasn't changed about me. It's that I still feel quite a deal of regret for what I did. But you need to understand, I still feel very protective over you and I'll never stop caring about you, Skylara. That is never gonna change." Says Jack. He unexpectedly embraces Skylara. "Just remember that you can always come to me. I'll always be here for you." Jack says. "I appreciate it, Jack." Says Skylara. Jack then releases her and turns to Goodwin. "I have a demand to make. You got what you wanted. He's here, right? Let his friends go, he doesn't need to be coerced. I want this duel to be legit. No threats, no gimmicks, just us." Jack says.

Goodwin raises his glass, slightly. "If that is what my champion wants, then so be it." Says Goodwin.

In the cargo container. Yusei's friends hear a click and look up. "Huh?!" Rally asks. He runs over and pushes on the door, it gives way. "No way, it's open." Says Rally. "Don't joke around…" Nervin says. Blitz and Tank crowd toward the door too and the four of them end up tripping over each other, spilling out of the container into the open. Only Blitz stays standing, looking out, suspiciously. "Anybody know where we are?" Asks Rally. They are standing in the middle of some sort of dump. Rally, Nervin and Tank stand up as they hear a speaker-distorted voice. "The time has come!" The announcer says, via-television. "Hm?" Asks Tank. "Hey, look." Nervin says. By some crazy coincidence, or nothing of the kind, there's a desktop-size monitor lying on the ground, tuned into the Fortune Cup. The four of them crowd around it. "The final showdown is about to begin! Satellite's very own Yusei Fudo has won the chance to take on Jack Atlas!" Says the announcer, via-television. "Yusei is duelin' Jack?!" Tank asks. "When did this happen?" Asks Blitz. "Hey, look at his face!" Nervin says. "They marked him!" Says Rally. He looks worried and upset. "Guess you miss a lot when you're locked up!" Tank says.

Yusei rides up to the second starting block, above which the bowled sides of the track are shattered, cracked and unstable from the previous duel.

"There he is!" Says Luna. "I wonder if Goodwin told him and Skylara what they wanted to know." Tanner says.

On his runner screen, Yusei sees an image of Rally, Blitz, Tank and Nervin, crowded around the video screen outside the cargo container. _"They're okay."_ Yusei thinks to himself. The screen changes to a live call with Jack. "Are you happy? You finally have your chance to settle the score with me." Says Jack, via-screen. "I guess so." Yusei says.

Backstage. Jack straightens up from leaning over his runner screen and is now preparing to appear in the arena. Minako hands Jack his helmet and he puts it on. "You know, for what it's worth, big setup or not, I still think that you're an incredible duelist, Jack." Says Minako. "Of course I am." Jack says, back to being his normal arrogant self again.

Goodwin, Lazar and Skylara are watching from the control tower.

As is Sayer from his hallway. _"So, you're really going to try and summon the Crimson Dragon. This should be interesting..." _Sayer thinks to himself.

"This is it! I'm finally going to show you that you don't have what it takes to be the best, Yusei, you never have!" Jack says.

"Are you sure we should be doing this right now, Jack? There's still a lot we don't know about the Crimson Dragon." Says Yusei.

"Haha, this is exactly what I'm talking about, Yusei, you have no guts! You never wanna take any risks! Don't you wanna reveal the sixth Signer?" Jack asks.

_"The sixth Signer? That's right! Yanagi said there were six __M__arks of the Dragon! So there's me, Skylara, Luna, Jack and Akiza. And Jack's right. Then that means there's gotta be one more Signer in the arena! But who is it?" _Yusei thinks to himself. "Okay! It's time to activate, the 'Speed World' field spell!" Says Yusei. "Duel mode engaged. Autopilot standing by." The computer says.

The air in the entire stadium turns purplish.

"This is the moment!" Says the announcer.

Tanner, Yanagi, Dexter and the twins are waiting, anxiously.

"Will Jack Atlas continue to reign as the King of Turbo-duels?" The announcer asks.

As are Rally, Blitz, Tank and Nervin. "Or will he be de-throned by Satellite Shooting Star?" Asks the announcer, via-screen.

Goodwin waits in the tower, smiling nastily.

"It's time to find out!" The announcer says.

The countdown hits green and the two runners are off, so fast the wheels appear to turn white with heat.

The crowd goes wild.

"Admit it, Yusei. The roar of the crowd is more appealing than the scamper of rats." Says Jack.

"Let's just duel. I'm summoning out my Shield Wing in defense mode!" Yusei says. Shield Wing has 0 attack points, 900 defense points, is a level 2 monster and is a wind type monster. "Next I place two cards face down and end my turn!" Says Yusei.

"In that case..." Jack says. He draws. "I summon Twin Sword Marauder in attack mode!" Says Jack. Twin Sword Marauder has 1600 attack points. "You may've just scrapped your way to the title match, but those other duelists were just amateurs compared to me. Now allow my Twin Sword Marauder to give you a proper welcome to the big leagues, Yusei!" Jack says.

Yusei's lifepoints now read 3300.

"You haven't grown a bit as a duelist since the days of riding around in the sewers! I can still anticipate your game and stay two steps ahead of you!" Says Jack.

"Then you should know that Shield Wing can't be destroyed in one attack! It has to be defeated twice!" Yusei says.

"I do know that. And when Twin Sword Marauder attacks a monster in defense mode, it can attack again!" Says Jack.

"Huh!" Yusei says.

"I said that I was two steps ahead of you, Yusei, not just one! Go! Double Marauder Mayhem!" Says Jack.

Yusei's lifepoints fall further to 2600.

"And to end my first turn, I place one card face down." Jack says. He looks down at his hand, 'Tuner's Mind', Dark Tinker, 'Speed Spell-Overboost' and 'Speed Spell-The End of the Storm', he's looking at the latter. _"I already have in my hand the card that will lead me to victory, and settle this matter once and for all!" _Jack thinks to himself. "You can't defeat me, Yusei!" Says Jack.

"We'll see, Jack!" Yusei says. He draws. _"__'__Meteor Stream__'__. Jack might be expecting this since I beat him with it before. So I'd better hold off on using it, for now." _Yusei thinks to himself. "From my hand I summon Junk Synchron!" Says Yusei. Junk Synchron has 1300 attack points. "And now I'm gonna tune my Junk Synchron with my Shield Wing, in order to synchro-summon Junk Warrior!" Yusei says. Shield Wing glides through Junk Synchron's three glowing green rings, gracefully, and a bright green beam of light heralds the arrival of a powerful new monster. "Let's rev it up!" Says Yusei.

Junk Warrior is a level-five, dark-attribute, warrior-type synchro monster with twenty-three-hundred attack points and thirteen-hundred defense points.

"Now take out that Marauder!" Yusei says.

Jack's lifepoints are now 3300. "Ugh..." Says Jack.

"Next I activate my trap card, 'Synchro Blast'! Now when my Warrior attacks, 'Synchro Blast' can slam you with five hundred points of damage!" Yusei says.

"Now you're dueling, Yusei..." Says Jack. He draws. "But you won't be for long! Because from my hand, I summon Dark Tinker!" Jack says. Dark Tinker has 1000 attack points. "Then I activate the 'Powerful Rebirth' trap card! And with this card, I can re-summon Twin Sword Marauder from my graveyard!" Says Jack.

"Alright, Dark Tinker is only level three, and that Sword Marauder is a level-four!" Tanner says. "Mmm!" Says Yanagi. "So he hasn't got the power that he needs to summon Red Dragon Archfiend! This is your chance, Yusei!" Tanner says.

"Now the monster resurrected by 'Powerful Rebirth' gains one hundred attack and defense points, and its level increases by one!" Says Jack.

"What?!" Yusei asks.

"Ugh!" Says Tanner.

"Yusei, I'm the best turbo-duelist New Domino City has ever seen and that move I just made, was one more example of why I'm the champ, and now I'm going to show you why I'm gonna remain a champ! I synchro-summon Red Dragon Archfiend!" Jack says.

Tanner gasps.

As do Rally and the Satellite bunch.

Goodwin is rather pleased.

"Man, he's not wasting any time!" Says Yusei.

_"Back in the Satellite..." _Jack thinks to himself.

As he thinks, he flashbacks again to the day he left the Satellite. Jack watches Yusei dive into the choppy sea and swim out toward Rally, he doesn't move, just calmly watches his friends in danger. _"I knew that to realize my full potential, to climb up from the bottom of the world, I had to throw away everything. I had to turn my back on the Satellite. On my friends. Nothing was more important to me than being the best!" _Jack thinks to himself, in voice-over. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. _"But now here you come, and you're trying to take me down? You're not a real duelist, you haven't had to sacrifice anything! You always put dueling second! Well, I'm finally going to put you in your place!" _Jack thinks to himself.

Rapidfire quick shots.

The 'End of the Storm' is ready in Jack's hand.

Yusei's contains 'Meteor Stream', 'Silver Contrails' and 'Shining Silver Force'.

Red Dragon Archfiend roars and Junk Warrior faces it down.

Jack glares over his shoulder and Yusei matches his gaze.


	27. Chapter 26

_Chapter 26: The Fortune Cup Finale: Part 2_

As the announcer speaks, a montage of shots. Exterior of the stadium.

Interior, a strange shot of the control tower against the swirling pink sky, as Jack, Archfiend and Yusei race through the bottom of the shot.

Goodwin, Lazar and Skylara are in the control tower.

Minako is watching from the top of the stands.

Sayer is in his corner.

Tanner, Yanagi, Luna, Leo and Dexter are in the stands.

"Welcome back to the Fortune Cup finale, where the Master of Faster, Jack Atlas, already has a commanding lead! Can the Satellite Shooting Star, Yusei Fudo, catch up? Or will this be his final lap? Let's watch and see!" The announcer says.

Luna looks up and gasps. "What's that?" Asks Luna. All look up and 'huh', the sky is ominously clouding over. "I don't think the forecast called for scary purple clouds!" Leo says. "It's a sign! The Crimson Dragon is coming! And if he's coming then we should all get going!" Says Yanagi. "Take it easy, gramps. I mean, it's probably just some acid rain drifting in from the Satellite." Tanner says.

Up in the control tower. "It's the sign we've been waiting for. Soon the Crimson Dragon will awake from its long slumber." Says Goodwin.

"No, it isn't, Goodwin." Skylara says. Goodwin suddenly stands up from the couch, it makes her a little wary and she gets herself off of the armrest, now backing away, walking backwards, as he keeps walking towards her, she's starting to feel intimidated for once. "Oh, yes it will, dear Skylara. You see, I know the capability of your Signs. Yes, I said Signs. Meaning, I know you have the Crimson Dragon within you and you can feel it. It is going to show up. No matter how much you think you can control it from coming, you can't and I'll eventually prove it when the time comes." Says Goodwin. Skylara is now backed up against a wall, with no where to run.

"Um, just one question about all that. I thought we needed six Signers, no? At this point, we just have the five. The little girl, Akiza, Skylara, Yusei and Jack. Besides, are we even sure that we can control the Dragon's power once it's been summoned? Perhaps Trudge had a point." Lazar says.

Flashback. "Director? Look, Sir, there's something I've gotta say." Says Trudge.

"Mmm?" Goodwin asks.

"It's my official position that you need to stop this tournament." Says Trudge.

"I thought your official position was mall security." Goodwin says.

"Very funny. But I feel this tournament is cursed or something! You witnessed the damage of the last duel! I'm concerned things are gonna get worse!" Says Trudge. The flashback ends.

Back to the present. "Lazar, don't you trust me? You see, I know the sixth Signer." Goodwin says, not taking his eyes off of Skylara.

"That's good. If you know, then I'll just watch this match and rela…" Says Lazar. Huge gasp. "Wait, you know?! Who is it?! Ah-are they here?! How exciting! Then that means we can unlock all of its power!" Lazar says.

"That's right, Lazar. But first, we must see if we can harness the immense power the Crimson Dragon's summoning will create." Says Goodwin.

Lazar laughs, diabolically.

Goodwin then takes a hold of Skylara's right forearm, squeezing down hard on it, with his gloved metal hand. Skylara reacts to the tight grip, almost crying out in pain. "You are the very heart of the Signers. You are the very soul of the Signers. You will help us release the Crimson Dragon. I don't want to have to force you to do this because I know it hurts, but I'll make you release the Crimson Dragon and the other Signers can feel when one of the others is in danger. You all share the same pain, but they'll never know how much it hurts you, more than it does them." Goodwin says. "Goodwin, please. I'm begging you, please don't do this." Says Skylara. "I'm sorry, my dear Skylara. But I must, in order to help this world. The hour is near, the time is now." Goodwin says. He then uses a power from his mechanical hand and it shocks Skylara, making her wing-shaped Sign glow though her glove and sleeve, the dragon Sign on her stomach glows through her outfit afterward. The rest of the markings on Skylara's body all glow through her bodysuit, gloves and boots. A new mark suddenly appears on Skylara's right cheek, taking the form of the Japanese symbol for dragon, and some new additions appear along the sides of her neck, as well. Not able to take anymore, Skylara collapses into Goodwin's arms and he catches her.

"Sorry, but you were being stubborn. And now you'll do exactly as I say, and release the Crimson Dragon from within you." Says Goodwin. He now has control over Skylara.

Skylara's eyes open and are glowing crimson red once again. Skylara then gets herself out of Goodwin's hold and now stands on her own.

"Well done, Director. She'll make a fine puppet." Lazar says. He continues to laugh, diabolically.

On the field. "It's my turn, Jack!" Says Yusei. _"And It's time I even up the playing field!" _Yusei thinks to himself. "First I'll activate my trap, 'Descending Lost Star'!" Yusei says.

'Descending Lost Star' lets you bring a synchro monster back from your graveyard, but its level is reduced by one and its defense points become zero.

"So now by powering down my Junk Warrior, I can then bring it back out to my field. Then I summon, Hyper Synchron! And now I tune Junk Warrior with my Hyper Synchron, in order to synchro-summon Stardust Dragon!" Says Yusei.

"Oh, my, this is amazing!" Yanagi says. "Yusei!" Says Leo and Dexter, cheering.

"Let's rev it up!" Yusei says. Stardust Dragon has 2500 attack points and is a level 8 monster. Stardust appears, triumphantly, its wings shimmering and showering glittering lights, roaring in the sky.

Jack's mark starts glowing. "Welcome to the party, Stardust." Says Jack.

Luna's arm is glowing. "Oh..." Luna says. "Eeee!" Says Yanagi.

In a relaxation pod somewhere, Akiza stares at her glowing arm, exhausted. "Uh!" Akiza says.

"My arm's glowing!" Says Yusei.

"This is the moment we've been waiting for! So get ready, 'cause these two beasts are about to battle it out! Welcome back, and it's dragon versus dragon!" The announcer says.

Stardust and Archfiend are roaring at each other, ready to battle it out.

At Zigzix's reactor. The scientists are frantic and the generator is crackling, sizzling with overflowing energy. "…The energy reactor!" "…What's happening?!"

Zigzix is reading the same crazy off-the-charts energy, hugely excited. Zigzix makes a huge gasp. "Incredible! Director, are you getting all this?! The readings are off the charts! Nyahahahaha! The Crimson Dragon, it's here!" Says Zigzix, dramatically.

"And now, Hyper Synchron's special ability activates! Ya see, Jack. When it's part of a synchro-summon, the new monster gets an extra eight hundred attack points! So now my Stardust Dragon's got thirty-three-hundred!" Yusei says.

"Well then I guess I'll play my trap card, 'Tuner Capture'! This enables me to take control of the monster you used to make your synchro-summon happen. What goes around comes around, Yusei!" Says Jack.

"Whoa! While Yusei's Hyper Synchron goes Benedict Arnold, Jack out-monsters him two to one!" The announcer says.

"Well then, Stardust Dragon. Why don'tcha even up the playing field!" Says Yusei.

"Come on! That pathetic dragon's no match for me and my deck! I trigger the trap card 'Tuner's Mind'! And this is just one example of why I'm the Master of Faster, and you're a worthless wannabe! Now I can de-tune my Dragon to double my defense." Jack says.

_"Oh, man. If I don't take out 'is Twin Sword Marauder, he'll just use it to bring out his Red Dragon Archfiend all over again next round. Guess that leaves me just one thing to do." _Yusei thinks to himself. "Stardust Dragon! Attack Twin Sword Marauder with Cosmic Flare!" Says Yusei.

Dark Tinker blocks.

"No way!" Yusei says.

"Surprise, surprise. Y'see my trap forces you to attack my Dark Tinker. When're you gonna learn that you'll never be a match for me, Yusei? I'll beat you in front of the whole world, just like I beat you way back in the Satellite." Says Jack.

"Ugh! Well that was then and this is now! Go, 'Synchro Blast'!" Yusei says.

Jack's lifepoints fall to 2300.

"Thanks to that trap card, when any synchro monster like my Dragon attacks, you automatically lose five hundred lifepoints!" Says Yusei.

"The difference between us is that I can afford it! Now I can draw another card!" Jack says.

"It won't help you, Jack." Says Yusei.

"Oh really, Yusei?" Jack asks. He draws, it's 'Crimson Fire'. "I tune Hyper Synchron with Twin Sword Marauder, in order to synchro-summon Red Dragon Archfiend one more time!" Says Jack. Hyper Synchron lets four stars out of the cosmic cupboard on its chest and Twin Sword Marauder flies through the aligning green rings. First one mighty claw, then another, stretches out of the bright light. The dragon's eyes glow yellow and its feral smile is not unlike that of its master. "Let's kick this turbo-duel into overdrive." Jack says, menacingly. He goes into a backward skid. "And just like Hyper Synchron added eight hundred attack points to your Dragon, now that it's helping me with my synchro-summon, I get to reap the benefits of its power too. And remember, after I win this, your Stardust Dragon is mine!" Says Jack. Archfiend roars as its points rise to 3800. "Ready?" Jack asks.

"Bring it!" Says Yusei.

"Consider it brought!" Jack says.

The dragons clash and separate.

"It looks like you forgot that, since Hyper Synchron was used, neither dragon can be destroyed now!" Says Yusei. His lifepoints fall to 1400.

"Good thing I've got this, then! My trap 'Field Cannon'!" Jack says.

"Rrrgh!" Yusei growls under his breath.

"Now you lose five hundred lifepoints, 'cause I couldn't destroy your monster!" Says Jack.

"Yusei, no!" Leo says. "This isn't good. Yusei'd better think of something, fast." Says Tanner. "I couldn't agree with ya more, Tanner. Especially with those clouds circling around like that!" Yanagi says.

The clouds, now in dark, murky grays, are indeed swirling with downright unnatural menace.

As they look up at them again, huge red flashes of lightning begin shooting out of the clouds and form into one huge bolt that strikes through the image of Jack and Yusei on the Sphere, forcing the two dragons apart.

"Here it comes!" Says Jack.

"The Crimson Dragon!" Yusei says.

"Ohh..." Says Luna. "Sweet!" Tanner says. "Th-th-this is bad!" Says Yanagi.

The lightning resolves itself into a familiar shape, one all too familiar from the marks on the Signers' arms, Jack's and Skylara's are its wings, Yusei's the tail, Akiza's and Luna's are its claws, it bells its characteristic cry, strange, but somehow musical. It is now flying alongside Stardust and Archfiend, keeping each to one side of it.

The announcer rubs his eyes. "I-I see it! But I do not believe it!" The announcer says.

Crowd. "…It's a third dragon!" "…Hold on, who summoned that thing to the field?!"

"The Crimson Dragon! It's huge!" Says Yanagi. Luna is looking at her mark. "My arm, it's glowing again..." Luna says, worriedly.

Minako gasps aloud, watching from the top of the stands. Minako can't believe her eyes.

Sayer, in his corner, looks thunderstruck. Sayer's eye twitches. "It can't be. They actually awakened you?" Asks Sayer.

Up in the control tower. Lazar's eyes and mouth are wide open, with joy. "Beautiful, isn't it? So much power. Lazar, get me Zigzix now." Goodwin says. Lazar bows. "Hm." Says Lazar.

Goodwin then walks over to Skylara. "You've done well. That's my girl." Goodwin says. Skylara can't stand the Crimson Dragon being out of her, it affects and she collapses backwards into him, who catches her and places her weakened body down on the floor. "You've done your job. You must rest now." Says Goodwin. He releases Skylara from his control.

The D-Tector is going past the yellow, Zigzix is stoked. "It's working! We're absorbing the Dragon's Ener-D! Ah! I've never seen something so powerful! Hahahaha-hahahaha!" Zigzix says. Goodwin appears on a holoscreen. "Zigzix, you must shut down the reactor immediately." Says Goodwin, via-holoscreen. "Y-excuse me? But, it's working perfectly! There's enough Ener-D here to power the City for a hundred years! It's a success!" Zigzix says. "We must be cautious. Zigzix, if you don't shut the reactor down immediately then there might not be a City left to power. I'm sure that you understand." Says Goodwin, via-holoscreen. He hangs up before Zigzix can respond. "Won't be a City left? Uhh..." Zigzix says. Out on the floor near the reactor, a computer voice is issuing a warning. "Warning. The Ener-D reactor is overloading. Please shut down core. Meltdown is imminent." Says the computer. "Meltdown?! Oh please, not again! We can't let what happened to Greiger's village happen here! Aah!" Zigzix says. Out on the floor, dozens of screens of his face suddenly appear. "We must shut down the reactor immediately! That dragon has the power to destroy everything in New Domino City!" Says Zigzix.

The Crimson Dragon now soars over the duel, along with Stardust and Archfiend.

The Crimson Dragon is soaring right over Jack and his Red Dragon Archfiend, it's so big, it could easily grip Archfiend in one of its claws. "Crimson Dragon, welcome to my arena! Now watch and witness how your future master rules this duel!" Jack says.

"Jack! Be careful! The Crimson Dragon might rip this place apart and everyone in it!" Says Yusei.

"Don't tell me you're scared. I am a Signer, Yusei Fudo, and this is my destiny! Goodwin told me that the power of the Crimson Dragon will help me save this world!" Jack says.

_"And it shall, Jack. But you will not fight the darkness that is coming alone. Legend says that once all six Signers are gathered, the future can be revealed. So with the power I possess as the sixth Signer, I will now show you what our enemy plans!"_ Goodwin thinks to himself. He reaches his right hand forward toward the window.

But seeing another arm, one in a tank of liquid with the Sign of the Dragon's head glowing on it.

The other five Signers' Signs react immediately.

Yusei and Jack look at theirs.

Luna and Akiza wince.

Skylara is wincing at both of her Signs and all of her markings, but is too weakened to move.

The Crimson Dragon roars and a wind whips up, obscuring everyone's view.

The audience yells and shields their faces.

"What's going on?!" Asks Jack.

"Augh!" Yusei says.

The Crimson Dragon swoops down, grabs the two duelists in its claws and rises into the sky over the stadium, shining brilliantly as it spreads its wings, with an unearthly cry.

Luna, Akiza and Skylara moan, finding themselves thrown into a vision.

Surrounded on all sides by stars and empty night sky, Jack, Yusei, Stardust and Archfiend race along a shining white path on their runners.

"Where are we?!" Asks Yusei.

"Beats me." Jack says.

Three shining red globes come flying after them, one contains Luna, one contains Akiza and one contains Skylara, as though they're protected by magic soap bubbles. "Where's the stadium?! What's going on?!" Asks Luna.

"I don't know!" Akiza says. She spots the duel below them. "Yusei!" Says Akiza.

The first thing they see, as they approach a vision of the red star, then a central-american-style pyramid comes into view before them.

"Look there!" Jack says.

"Akiza, Skylara, I'm scared." Says Luna.

Akiza is then confused by the name difference. "Wait, Skylara? But, I thought your name was Skylar?" Akiza asks.

"Well, now you know it isn't, Akiza. Skylar Alektra was my alias, my real name is Skylara Galatea. However, I am still the same person who you dueled against not too long ago."

Before the temple, hundreds of people are bowing on the ground. At the top of it, six people stand, with their arms upraised.

"Yusei, they look exactly like the People of the Stars!" Says Jack.

"What are they doing here?!" Yusei asks. The shining path takes them up and over the pyramid, as they pass over, he is the first to spot the glowing symbols on the arms of each of the six people. "Hey, Jack! They're all Signers!" Says Yusei.

"Like us! Goodwin told me about these people! He said somehow we're all linked to the Crimson Dragon!" Jack says.

The pyramid is past and next they're approaching a small, scorched-looking island off the coast of a larger mainland, with a large crater visible near its center.

"Down there looks a lot like the Satellite, Jack." Says Yusei.

Suddenly, purple flames shoot up from part of it, toppling whole buildings in a ruthless line of destruction, instantly.

"Uh! What's happening?!" Luna asks.

The flames race through the Satellite, with unnatural precision, the fire is making a pattern.

"Luna! Skylara! Look there! Is that a giant spider surrounding New Domino City?!" Asks Akiza.

Now the purple flames below them have drawn a glittering violet spider, big enough that a few of its feet dip into the dark ocean around the Satellite and the buildings are consumed by the flames.

"I can't believe this is happening! We have to stop it!" Yusei says.

"It can't be real! Perhaps it's the future!" Says Jack.

"Well if that's the future then we'd better stop this duel right now! We gotta get home!" Yusei says.

"We will, once we finish this." Says Jack.

"What?!" Yusei asks.

"Yusei, this is a duel! The Crimson Dragon won't let either of us go back until one of us wins!" Says Jack.

"Come on!" Yusei says.

"Don't you get it? Dueling brought us here and dueling's gonna bring us back home! And whoever wins will show the Crimson Dragon they deserve the power to save the world! And I'm gonna be that person! I throw down two face downs!" Says Jack.

"You're nuts!" Yusei says.

They left the scoreboard behind in the stadium, but both runners' counts of speed counters rise, they now have 6 each.

"But if you wanna keep dueling, you'll get more than you bargained for, Jack! I just activated 'Silver Contrails'! It gives one thousand more attack points to any Wind monster on my field! And guess what my mighty beast is! Stardust Dragon, attack Red Dragon Archfiend and take us home!" Says Yusei.

Jack's lifepoints go down to 1800, he screams. _"That attack, I can feel it! Like it was real! I guess the Crimson Dragon wants Yusei an' I to play for keeps! Well, that's just fine by me!" _Jack thinks to himself.

"Next I activate my trap, 'Synchro Blast'!" Yusei says.

Jack's lifepoints sink to 1300, he screams and when the blast subsides, is still short of breath and a bit hoarse.

"And you thought I had short memory. Since Hyper Synchron helped summon both our dragons out, neither one can be destroyed in battle!" Says Yusei. His hand is 'Meteor Stream' and 'Shining Silver Force'. "I'll throw down two face downs and end my turn!" Yusei says.

_"Two face downs? Looks like Yusei's makin' his big move. Too bad it's too late!" _Jack thinks to himself. The two cards in his hand are 'Speed Spell-The End of the Storm' and 'Speed Spell-Overboost'. _"No matter what he's got hidden, my speed spell 'Overburst' will destroy it!" _Jack thinks to himself. "Here we go!" Says Jack. He draws.

Both sets of speed counters increase to 7.

"I can't slay your dragon, but I can still take out your lifepoints! Go, Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack!" Jack says.

"Ugggh!" Yusei's lifepoints are now at 400.

"Yusei!" Says Luna.

"He's really hurt! It's just like when I duel people!" Akiza says.

Skylara growls under her breath, still in pain and still very much weakened.

"What was that?! I could feel his attack!" Says Yusei.

"That's right, Yusei. This duel is winner take all!" Jack says.

"Jack, the damage we take in this duel is real!" Says Yusei.

"That's right, pal, and now you'll see what it's like to duel with more than just your lifepoints on the line!" Jack says.

Yusei sighs.

"You don't know if that's true! But if it is, then I plan on defending myself and taking you down! I activate my trap 'Cross Line Counter'! Now if I take battle damage during your turn, I double it and add it as attack points! Plus now my dragon gets to attack you!" Says Yusei.

"Heh. Well, what're ya waitin' for?" Jack asks.

"Stardust Dragon, let's not keep 'im waiting any longer!" Says Yusei.

"Aaagh!" Jack's lifepoints sink to 800, he slumps over for a moment.

"Jack!" Yusei says.

"Don't worry about me! In fact you should be a lot more concerned with yourself! I activate the 'Speed Spell-Overboost'!" Says Jack. He suddenly zooms ahead. "So now I get four extra speed counters this round, nearly maxxing me out!" Jack says.

"With that much power, there's no telling what he'll play next!" Says Yusei.

"That's right. So get ready for me to call on one of my favorites. Now from my hand, I play the speed spell 'End of a Storm'!" Jack says. A huge wind blows up, once again obscuring the field. "And with the power of this card, Yusei. I can now put you in your place! And since first place is going to be all mine, I guess that you'll have to settle for second!" Says Jack.

"I'm not settling for anything, Jack! And that's because Stardust Dragon's special ability can counter your 'End of Storm'!" Yusei says.

"Perhaps, but at what cost? Just look! That counter only works if you sacrifice Stardust and with him gone, you're wide-open! Making this the perfect time for my favorite trap, the 'Sneak Exploder'! So during your next standby phase, you lose five hundred lifepoints for every monster on my field! And since I've got one that means your lifepoints don't stand a chance!" Says Jack.

"Oh, no! That trap'll finish Yusei off and next round he'll lose!" Luna says.

"Then I'd better keep this round going! So I activate Stardust Dragon's special ability, and bring 'im back to the field! And then I'll activate, 'Meteor Stream'!" Says Yusei.

'Meteor Stream' is a trap card that deals one thousand points of damage to your opponent when you re-summon a monster that was released during the same turn.

"Stardust Dragon, end this now!" Yusei says.

"Just what I was waiting for!" Says Jack.

"Huh?" Yusei asks.

"There's a reason I'm the champ, Jack Atlas is destined for great things, while you're just destined for defeat! This adventure's over, I play 'Crimson Fire'! Not only does it block your thousand-point trap, but it boomerangs it right back to you, at double the damage! Goodbye, Yusei!"

"Watch out!" Says Skylara, weakly.

"Sorry, Jack, but I play my trap 'Shining Silver Force', which douses your comeback and destroys all the spells and traps on your field!" Yusei says.

"Rrrgh. You're still as annoying as ever!" Says Jack.

"I never was one to give up, and with your speed counters about to run out of gas, I don't plan on starting any time soon!" Yusei says.

Jack skids a bit and decelerates, rapidly, as he loses the added four speed counters and plunges into second place.

Yusei is now leading, is now the one looking back over his shoulder. "How's the new view?" Asks Yusei.

Jack looks as though he's beginning to contemplate defeat, he is resolute as he looks over his shoulder.

Then Yusei races ahead into the distance, Stardust soaring after him. "See ya, Jack! Time to get us home!" Yusei says. He draws, his speed counters rise to 8. Yusei's draw is a trap card 'Final Attack'. "I play my trap 'Final Attack'! And since I have eight speed counters, the attack points of my Stardust Dragon are doubled!" Says Yusei.

"Five thousand! It's too powerful!" Jack says. Archfiend has 3800.

"I don't wanna hurt you, Jack. But if ending this duel is the only way home, then I gotta attack! Stardust Dragon! Take out 'is lifepoints!" Says Yusei.

Stardust lets loose a devastating stream of white sparkling fire to race back along the track. It's big enough to engulf Jack and Archfiend both, they're driving right into it. Archfiend roars, Jack lets out a heart-rending scream of pain.

Suddenly, they're back in the real world. Jack's runner all but falls out of the sky, throwing its rider to the ground as it flips over, sparking and flaming.

Yusei side-skids hard to curb his momentum and comes to a halt at the other end of the track, breathing heavily.

Above them, the holograms, or actualities, of Stardust and Archfiend have frozen in place, angrily nose-to-nose, seconds from clashing, frozen in time and turned gray, as though made of stone.

The announcer sounds like he's trying very hard not to panic. "Ladies and gentlemen, we seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties at this moment. Your patience is appreciated as we try to sort this matter out. Can someone tell me why these two dragons have been frozen in midair?! Get the Director on the line!" The announcer says, in a harsh whisper.

The dragons begin to blur, as though the holograms are breaking up, then glow, blindingly, and vanish into sparkles.

"What just happened?!" Asks Tanner. "First they were dueling, then they disappeared, now they're back and their dragons are gone!" Yanagi says. Leo's eyes are huge, his mouth hanging open, everyone but Luna is frantic and freaked, she looks calm, but troubled. "Ah! Look there!" Says Leo. He points.

The scoreboard now reflects the duel, Yusei 400 lifepoints, 8 speed counters, Jack 0 lifepoints, 2 speed counters.

"Check out Jack's lifepoints!" Leo says. "Izzat the right score?" Asks Dexter. "Yusei won. He's the champion now." Luna says, calmly. Yanagi and Leo gasp.

Up in the control tower. Lazar has his face and both hands pressed up against the glass, Goodwin has his hands behind his back and looks austere. Lazar whimpers, eye twitching. "Jack lost!" Says Lazar, wailing.

Skylara starts to show signs of movement, now that the Crimson Dragon has returned to her body. Skylara gets up to her hands and knees, slowly, still feeling the affect of what happened. Skylara's markings and Signs are still glowing and go dim, slowly. The new marking on Skylara's right cheek and the ones on along the sides of her neck have solidified to her skin, along with the rest of her markings and Signs. Skylara then gets up to her feet, feeling dizzy yet, but manages to stay standing. Skylara glares up at Goodwin, not happy at all, but is still very much feeling the affect of what happened, trying not to show any weakness. "You got what you wanted out of this tournament and the Fortune Cup is finished. Are you happy now with what you have done? You have put five innocent lives, including my own, in jeopardy for your own self and amusement. And it cost you dearly. I hope you are happy with what you have done because as of now, it just got personal." Skylara says, fiercely and menacingly. She then walks away and leaves out the door, slamming it behind herself.

_"You have no idea how much more personal it's going to become. For you that is, dear Skylara. Because you'll have to come face-to-face with someone close to you." _Goodwin thinks to himself, smiling sinisterly.

Yusei runs over to Jack. "Are you okay?!" Asks Yusei. Jack struggles to look up at him. "You beat me... I don't know how you did it, Yusei... but you're the champ, now." Jack says, weakly. "If that vision was true, none of this matters. Because it looks like we all might lose. We're in danger and our cities might be destroyed, and we have to unite to stop it from happening!" Says Yusei. "You always wanted to be a hero... now here's your chance." Jack says, weakly. He faints.

"Igh! Has anyone heard from the Director?! Mm?" Asks the announcer, frantically. A holoscreen of Goodwin appears. "The duel's over. The winner's Yusei, tell them all." Goodwin says, via-holoscreen. "Ugh, ah, guh!" Says the announcer. His face appears on the screen.

Then transitions to show Yusei's.

Every holographic screen in the stadium shows Yusei's face, fireworks burst in the sky behind a larger-than-life holographic statue of Yusei.

"It's over! Yusei is our winner! From the refuge of refuse he rose! From the slums of Satellite he now reigns supreme! I proudly present New Domino City's newest hero, Yuseeeeei Fudo!" The announcer says.

**The Signers Shall Return.**


End file.
